Laphroaig Taps Willem Dafoe for Global Campaign, Teases Whisky Release

(Photo: Laphroaig)

The iconic single malt scotch whisky brand Laphroaig announced Tuesday it has partnered with actor Willem Dafoe for a global campaign and a future limited-edition release, which is expected to land in 2026.

The collaboration marks the first time the distillery has teamed with an actor. It begins with a short film titled “The Taste,” directed by Tim Pope, which explores Dafoe’s attempt to describe the flavor of Laphroaig.

“The first time I ever travelled overseas, I went to Scotland,” Dafoe said in a news release. “I was a kid, and the first thing I thought when my feet touched down on the ground was, something feels familiar here. I feel at home. The land spoke to me, and it must be genetic because my grandmother was from Glasgow. ‘The Taste’ depicts that sort of familiarity that’s found when exploring Laphroaig. It’s the flavours and how they come together.”

View “The Taste” below:

Pope is known for his direction of music videos over the past four decades for artists like David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Neil Young and The Cure.

Suntory Global Spirits Senior Whisky Blender Sarah Dowling worked with Dafoe on the project.

“When we tried to imagine Laphroaig as a human being, we immediately thought of Willem Dafoe,” she said. “He is the very embodiment of our bold and distinctive spirit.”

The campaign is part of Laphroaig’s ongoing “Unphorgettable” series, which launched in 2024 and features consumer descriptions of the brand’s smoky, peated flavor.

Laphroaig said Dafoe and Dowling also collaborated on a new whisky, set for release in 2026. The expression is currently maturing in the distillery’s warehouses on Islay.

To promote the launch of “The Taste,” Laphroaig temporarily renamed The Barley Mow pub in London as “The Barley Dafoe” — a name that it will hold through Thursday. The bar will serve a cocktail called Opposite Island, designed to reflect the partnership. Versions of the cocktail are expected to appear at other bars worldwide later this year.

Founded in 1815, Laphroaig is one of the largest Islay single malt producers and is owned by Suntory Global Spirits.