The Spirit of Dublin is Reborn for Young Rapper in New Teeling Whiskey Commercial

Today, Banjoman Films releases ‘Dublin Reborn’ for Irish whiskey brand Teeling. The two-minute commercial follows a young rapper struggling to find his niche. Busking on the streets of Dublin, his story takes an unexpected twist as he learns to look back at old traditions to inspire his music. 

Dermot Malone, founder and director at Banjoman Films wrote and directed the film, which draws on the rich history of Dublin’s buskers to parallel the story of Teeling’s brand. Teeling tasked Banjoman Films with creating a piece of content that communicates the message of looking back at the old to inspire the new. 

Dermot says: “I felt a traditional busking singer songwriter is a good representation of traditional Irish whiskey. The performance from this character is assured, comfortable and confident - as is the traditional Irish whiskey scene. Teeling, a new Dublin-based whiskey, is represented by a pioneering young artist who, while doing the same thing, is putting his own spin on it. I wanted to craft a story about a new art form that represents a new whiskey. Only when the lead character meets and learns from the old busker, can he look forward and achieve his own goals. The older musician character represents the old Irish tradition of Whiskey, whereas the hero is also a musician, but in a new, fresh way.”

The cinematic spot, graded by George K at MPC London with cinematography by Burschi Wojnar, uses stark colour and light contrasts to reflect the evolving narrative. The setting for the film also seeks to reflect the narrative of the brand, paralleling traditional landmarks and contemporary parts of the Irish capital.

Malone comments: “I love crafting cinematic visuals in general and always try to make the work compelling to the eye, even when the sound is turned off. Teeling wanted the ad to be extremely Dublin-centric but in a way that paints Dublin as new, cool and edgy, rather than cliched and steeped in ‘Paddywhackery’ - as can sometimes happen. We wanted to show a side of Dublin that isn’t often captured in commercials, shooting much of the story in Dublin 8, where the Teeling Distillery is based. The demographics are far reaching, from the young cool musician, to the older Whiskey drinker. There’s a place for everyone at the table.”