Three Ships whisky launches online shopping

Using live streaming and innovative technology to augment the online shopping experience, the live store will enable consumers to interact in real time as they select the hand-numbered bottle of their choice. Consumers will see their selected bottle being collected off the shelf and watch as Master Distiller Andy Watts signs their name on a certificate and prepares it for delivery.

Three Ships' Marketing Manager, Liezl Dippenaar, said this innovative way of making the whisky available to consumers fits in seamlessly with the limited edition nature of the product.

"To create excitement and awareness we needed a platform that's unique in the world of online shopping to mirror the pioneering spirit of the Three Ships brand, which has created many firsts for the South African whisky industry.

"The process emulates the old-world appeal of walking into a cellar, hand-picking a numbered bottle and meeting the crafter of the product as he signs and wraps your purchase. In our fast-paced life consumers seek authentic, unique experiences, meaningful engagement with the crafter and the opportunity to own a limited edition."

Purchase only one bottle at a time

Three Ships has partnered SnapScan for the payment method. Consumers will be able to purchase only one bottle at a time to ensure that as many whisky lovers as possible can add this long-awaited whisky to their collection.

The process works as follows: The shop will be open for business from 12pm to 10pm on 27 October. Make sure you download the SnapScan app on your smartphone well in advance where you will be prompted to register your payment details. Go to the desktop site and select the number of the bottle you would like to buy. You will be prompted to insert your delivery details and then your unique QR code will be revealed. You will then scan this code, using your SnapScan app. There's only a 10-minute window to make your payment, so be sure to download SnapScan well in advance.

Once payment has been verified you will see your bottle being removed from the shelf and handed to Andy Watts, all in real time. On the site you can also view footage and interviews with Andy on the story behind the creation of this limited-edition whisky.

The cost is R850 per bottle with an automatic R100 courier charge to anywhere in South Africa added to the final amount. An email will confirm purchase and delivery is expected to take up to two weeks.

The innovative site and online experience had been created by multi-award winning digital agency Quirk. Andrew Bloom, Executive Creative Director, said they are extremely proud of the project.

"It's not every day we get to create what pushes the digital envelope. So it's been a fun challenge to combine the technology of a live stream with an interactive overlay, content and an e-commerce experience. Most of all we're excited about how it makes a cold e-commerce experience human, interactive and engaging. We're giving back to the connoisseurs a little bit of old-world romance; it's what being a collector is all about, right?"

The Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt Single Cask PX Finish whisky was distilled in 2005 and initially matured for eight years and 10 months in American oak whereafter a small quantity was aged for a further 14 months in a cask in which Pedro Ximènez (PX) sherry had previously been matured in.

The whisky forms part of the Master's Collection, which, over the next few years, will see a limited edition being launched each year under the Three Ships brand.