A Lucire special promotion



One of our favourite spots from last year was Johnnie Walker’s Gentlemen’s Wager, starring Academy Award-nominated actors Jude Law and Giancarlo Giannini. With its humour, choreography and spectacular cinematography, the feature film quality of the spot gave Johnnie Walker a sophisticated yet somewhat lighter air.
   Like all good films, a sequel beckoned, and Law and Giannini return for a second wager, which sees the two gentlemen race to Monaco—surely a great plot point worthy of some of the classic films of the 1960s and 1970s. A Roman villa also features—in fact, the film’s première was held there—and Johnnie Walker isn’t afraid to lavish the advertisement with great locations. Plot-wise, The Great Race comes to mind, though there they raced to Paris; but the opening episode of The Persuaders—perhaps the most lavish TV series of all time—has Monaco, or specifically, the Hôtel de Paris in Casino Square in Monte Carlo, as the destination. And, of course, Monaco hosts the most glamorous grand prix of the season. The Gentlemen’s Wager II plays on the romance we have with Monaco, and Chinese actress Zhao Wei is added to the mix. Cameos from Formula 1 stars Mika Häkkinen and Jenson Button also feature.
   The wager this time centres over a Delahaye 135S vintage car from the 1930s. The car has a Johnnie Walker connection: it has been owned by the Walker family since the late 1930s. Jake Scott of Ridley Scott Associates returns to direct: as Ridley Scott’s son, he has inherited his father’s eye for detail, and a love of film, while taking a similar career path. (Ridley Scott started in advertising, with the Hovis bread ‘Bike’ advertisement one of his most famous contributions in 1973.)
   It’s all part of Johnnie Walker’s Joy Will Take You Further campaign, reminding us that it’s not always the hard yards that bring success, happiness does, too.


Post sponsored by Johnnie Walker