Photo courtesy of Chivas
Gone are the days of one-upmanship. With a shared vision and a sense of community, Chivas and the New Regals blaze new trails.
“Persevere and, in time, you will reap the fruits of your labor.” Such is a proverb that’s tightly woven into most career advice. It maintains the singular idea of success where one has to be constantly working a 9-to-5, and that the nonstop pace holds the winning formula to getting the “big break” and climbing the conventional corporate ladder—all done by yourself. “There’s a feeling of having to accomplish so much so quickly,” social media consultant and founder of FindSpark & MCG Social, Emily Miethner, previously told the British Vogue.
While getting things done and rocking your to-do list are essential metrics for victory—and despite the sea of captivating stories of people who made it from the ground up—the industry’s fascination with busyness and competition is often glorified.
In fact, the Harvard Business Review reported that “the more [people] believe that one has the opportunity for success based on hard work, the more [they] tend to think that [those] who skip leisure and work all the time are of higher standing.” Suffice to say that career and accomplishments are at the center of people’s lives.
Certainly, no industry is immune to this workism. Whisky label Chivas Regal, though, would like to take a different approach.
The Scotch brand expressed this in the global “I Rise, We Rise” campaign, celebrating this generation’s visionaries—dubbed as the “New Regals”—who have shifted the industry’s landscape and brought others along their ride to the top.
“For us, it is about having the curiosity and grit to define success on your own terms,” Pernod Ricard Philippines’ head of marketing Maro Torres tells Vogue Philippines. “It is recognizing that success can mean different things to different people, and that paving more and increasingly diverse paths to success ultimately benefits all of us.”
“As a steward of [Chivas Regal], my definition of success is about being able to say confidently at the end of my stint that I am leaving the brand and my team in stronger shape than when I first took over. This links to what Chivas stands for: breaking through and inspiring others,” Torres adds. “It’s not just about ‘What’s in it for me?’, but rather, ‘What value and impact can my own efforts and success have on others?’”
To put that simply: success is rarely singular.
This philosophy, which has long been instilled by the founding brothers James and John Chivas since the 19th century, is an integral part of the Scotch whisky brand’s goal to bring people together to create a greater whole.
In the Philippines, Chivas Regal continues to break the status quo and drive change, collaborating with local streetwear brand Syndrome Supply for a ready-to-wear collection.
The collection includes a hoodie, jacket, shirts, and a cap bearing the Chivas crest and the “I Rise, We Rise” campaign handle, along with the quote “Make Drams, Not Drama” and Syndrome Supply’s “Lead, Never Follow” slogan.
To unveil the six-piece streetwear line-up, Chivas Regal held an exclusive launch party at Ugly Duck Poblacion, with New Regals across industries gracing the event—from R&B/soul singer Jess Connelly to hip-hop artist FELIP, commonly known as Ken of SB19, to brand ambassador Owen Roberts.
Wearing pieces from the Chivas x Syndrome Collection, Owen Roberts defines what success meant for rising talents and their respective communities.
“Whether you define what success looks like or let others define it for you, you’ll know when you’ve made it,” Roberts shares. “It’s super important not to burn out in the process… to celebrate those moments of success before you tackle the next goal. This is where leaning on your crew and peers becomes essential.”
With all things said and done, the campaign “I Rise, We Rise” circle back to Chivas’ core belief: success and the power in blending.
“There is motivation in knowing that changes bring chances, and [in] how life beyond the status quo can be a lot more creative and exciting! More practically speaking, ‘going against the grain’ is often easier said than done, but it helps to have a group of people that both supports and grounds you,” Pernod Ricard’s Maro Torres concludes.
The individualistic hustle culture has indeed changed, and so has the traditional career ladder. For Chivas Regal, it is high time to forge new definitions of success that people can own.
The Chivas x Syndrome Collection is available on Syndrome Supply’s website.
