If you are a fan of either whisky or the rock band Status Quo, you might have seen that Francis Rossi, the lead guitarist, has bought a stake in the Glen Rossie distillery and taken over as Chairman.

This 200-year old Scottish whisky company now has a new shape bottle and a label shaped like a guitar pick.

In a world where whisky increasingly competes with premium vodka and other top end spirits, profits might be boosted by sales alongside other merchandising at Quo concerts.

Or traditional Glen Rossie drinkers may be put off by the association with the King of Three Chords.

Is it the passion to bring a favourite drink to a new audience that motivates this? To share the personal delight in a much-loved product? Or is it vanity, replacing mental images of rocky glens with those of a ‘geri’ rocker?

How much are branding decisions really about making a connection between the customer and what they are buying? And how much are they personal motivations?

Tags: band, brand, innovation