Ads Try to Make Scotch Cool

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ONE OF the world's leading manufacturers of Scotch whisky is ditching its "Tartan" image in favour of a more funky approach in an attempt to boost sales and attract a younger generation of drinkers.

Gone are the kilts, the heather and the tartan. New ads shortly to hit the television screens of Britain will instead show a Russian fireman pulling a victim from the ruins of a burning apartment and a tightrope walker teetering between two Manhattan skyscrapers.

A fall in sales of almost 6 per cent in a year have prompted the owners of Johnnie Walker, one of the leading brands of whisky, to re- think their marketing strategy. It is now looking for a younger audience …