THE MODERN FACE OF WHISKY
WE BELIEVE The way the modern whisky drinker is visually portrayed by the media is not as inclusive or representative as it could be.
One reason for this is the absence of diversity in available stock imagery, which preserves the outdated, false idea that whisky is only made and enjoyed by men.
The limited depictions of whisky drinkers available on free image sites often show women in lingerie, pregnant or as gamblers and alcoholics. This lack of usable imagery means female whisky drinkers and makers are rarely featured in the media – a recent survey by the OurWhisky Foundation found just 10% of women working in the industry felt they’re fairly portrayed by the media.
Whisky’s masculine image has a direct effect on how women who drink and make whisky are treated by consumers; the same report found 89% of those in consumer-facing roles were often spoken over and had their knowledge questioned, while 70% have received inappropriate sexual remarks while at work.
The Modern Face of Whisky library is a groundbreaking photography series designed to address this imbalance by providing media with free-to-use images featuring a more accurate portrayal of whisky lovers, particularly women who now account for 36% of all whisky drinkers in the UK and USA.
It has been created in partnership with a group of the world’s biggest whisky producers, including Glenfiddich, Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Distill Ventures, The Glenlivet, Brown-Forman, Whyte & Mackay, Glenmorangie, Diageo, Heaven Hill, Edrington, Compass Box and The Glenturret.
The Modern Face of Whisky aims to eradicate outdated stereotypes by providing an evolving bank of free-to-use, unbranded stock photography depicting women and people of all genders, races, ages and sexualities enjoying a variety of whisky serves.
The image library is freely available to the media, content creators and wider industry via the link below, as well as free stock imagery platforms Pexels, Unsplash and Pixabay.
We encourage these images to be used widely and responsibly to help us bring balance to the way whisky drinkers are visually represented and perceived.
The library’s first collection, launched in April 2023, was created in partnership with world-renowned Australian photographer Jo Hanley. Based out of London, Edinburgh and New York, Jo produces brand-conscious photographic content for agencies, publications and clients worldwide, including the likes of Apple, British Airways, Comic Relief, Rolling Stone and the Wall Street Journal.
The second collection, released in November 2023, was created in partnership with award-winning, Glasgow-based portrait and lifestyle photographer, Christina Kernohan, known for her commercial work with luxury brands including The Macallan, Glendronach and Bacardi, and her collaboration with whisky expert Dave Broom for his 2022 book, A Sense of Place: A Journey Around Scotland’s Whisky.
The Modern Face of Whisky image library has been produced in partnership with:
The Modern Face of Whisky Image Library
Please refer to our usage guidelines for licensing terms and Google Image SEO best practice for digital publications.
You can browse the library and download high-resolution images in the link below.
SUPPORT US
It’s only thanks to our generous supporters and partners that we can operate the OurWhisky Foundation.
As a non-profit organisation, we rely entirely on donations and support from the industry to deliver on all our initiatives.