We at zenruption have become privy to a juicy little leak. But first, here’s a riddle: what do Drake and The Kingsman movie have in common? If you guessed a tie that appeared in the first movie that was a Drake brand, you are correct, but that’s not my point. My point is, on this day, as Drake “drops” his own line of whiskey, Virginia Black American Whiskey, just in time for the Kentucky Derby, we have discovered a little secret about the upcoming film and the marketing within The Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
As you know, the opening scene of The Kingsman: The Secret Service pivots around a glass of 1962 Dalmore. As violence erupts and the sorting out of who are the bad guys and who are the good guys, the elite beverage is delivered without wasting a precious drop, creating a weird tension where the value of the whiskey is clearly higher than that of the lives being taken. Throughout the movie, quality spirits are front and center and even play critical roles in advancing the storyline. In the new Kingsman, due in theaters September 22, whiskey plays an even more prominent role.
In the first show, the Kingsmen use a tailor shop as the front for their secret headquarters and equipment dispensary. In The Golden Circle, the plot moves to America. In this film, we are introduced to The Statesmen, who are master distillers in Kentucky. The Statesmen are played by Jeff Bridges, Hallie Berry, and Channing Tatum. This movie has upped the ante in product placement and marketing.
Instead of merely placing a bottle or mentioning a brand of whiskey in the movie, as was done with the ‘62 Dalmore, the Statesmen in The Golden Circle drink their own brand, Statesman Whiskey. Now, this might seem like a lost opportunity to create revenue by mentioning a sponsored brand. Not so fast. With the help of Brown-Forman, makers of Old Forester, Jack Daniel’s, and Woodford Reserve to name a few, a new whiskey was created: Statesman. This whiskey will be introduced all over the country, capitalizing on the brand endorsed by the Statesmen from the movie. So instead of merely placing a product in a film, they are creating a product and taking advantage of the movies’ following (If only Jeff Bridges could have marketed Dude Brand Joints after The Big Lebowski, no?)
There is a hint to this in the official trailer for The Kingsman: The Golden Circle. At 1:05 you can see the engraving on the silver flask attached to Jeff Bridges belt. It says, Statesman.
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courtesy of Youtube
We may have to wait until September to watch the sequel to The Kingsman, but now we have another product to wring our hands over: when will this whiskey drop?
Jerry Mooney is also the creator of Jerry Mooney Books