Royal Stag is a famous whisky brand in India, popular among people aged 25–40, especially the upper-middle class.
It competes with other whiskies like McDowell’s No.1, 8 PM Royale, Royal Crown, Royal Mist, and Officer’s Choice Black.
The brand is owned by Pernod Ricard, which also has other major brands like Imperial Blue, Blenders Pride, Chivas Regal, and 100 Pipers.
While Chivas Regal and 100 Pipers are seen as premium international whiskies, Royal Stag is an India-made foreign liquor (IMFL).
It comes in different bottle sizes, from 1-litre bottles to small 60ml packs, and its price varies across India.
Since India has strict rules on liquor ads, Royal Stag promotes itself through surrogate marketing.
his includes Mega Movie, Mega Music, and Mega Cricket campaigns, where it sponsors cricket matches, Hollywood movies, and works with Bollywood stars and famous cricketers.
The brand’s slogan, “It’s your life, make it large,” is widely recognized and linked to ambition and success.
However, the brand has faced controversies.
In 2006, an ad featuring Harbhajan Singh without his turban upset some Sikhs, leading to protests. Harbhajan later apologized for any offence.
Another issue came in 2011 when a Royal Stag ad showed Harbhajan’s journey from a factory job to cricket success, asking, “Have I made it large?”.
McDowell’s No.1 Platinum responded with a spoof ad, mocking the concept.
The ad showed a look-alike struggling in a factory while his father scolded him. Instead of “making it large,” the message was to “do something different”.
This direct rivalry in liquor advertising caused a backlash. Harbhajan’s mother even sent a legal notice to McDowell’s owner, United Spirits Ltd, demanding an apology and ₹100,000 in damages.
The company later withdrew the ad on July 22, 2011, saying they wanted to avoid conflict.
Despite these controversies, Royal Stag remains one of India’s top whisky brands, combining quality, ambition, and strong marketing to keep its popularity.
Royal Stag Whisky Brand Ambassadors
Royal Stag has always been known for its celebrity endorsements, especially with cricket stars and Bollywood actors.
In 2002, Seagram launched a big campaign featuring eight famous cricketers, including Harbhajan Singh from India, Wasim Akram from Pakistan, Glenn McGrath from Australia, and others from Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe.
This campaign, handled by Ogilvy & Mather, cost ₹2.5 crore (around $290,000) and aimed to highlight the brand’s ambition and prestige.
However, in 2004, a Pakistan Civil Court fined Wasim Akram 25,000 Pakistani rupees, claiming his endorsement hurt religious sentiments, even though his lawyer insisted he never promoted alcohol.
Over the years, more cricketers like Gautam Gambhir, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ricky Ponting, and Yuvraj Singh joined Royal Stag’s campaigns, strengthening its bond with cricket.
In 2007, Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan became a brand ambassador alongside Dhoni, Yuvraj, Harbhajan Singh, and Robin Uthappa.
The campaign, created by Ogilvy & Mather, introduced the famous slogan “Make It Large,” appealing to young, ambitious people.
This theme grew even bigger in 2010 when Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan joined as an ambassador, adding more prestige to the brand.
Despite its success, Royal Stag has faced controversies.
In 2013, social activists filed a complaint against Telugu actor Mahesh Babu for endorsing the brand.
Still, the company continued its celebrity marketing strategy.
In 2014, Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor also became ambassadors.
Raja Banerjee, Marketing Head at Pernod Ricard India, said they represented young India’s aspirations.
Despite challenges, Royal Stag remains a strong and aspirational brand, known for its larger-than-life image and star-studded promotions.
Seagram’s Royal Stag whisky was launched in 1995 and changed the Indian whisky market.
Unlike many other whiskies that used molasses, it was made by mixing grain spirits with Scotch malts, without adding artificial flavours.
The name “Royal Stag” comes from a type of deer with large antlers.
In December 2000, Seagram’s global business was taken over by Pernod Ricard and Diageo.
They later divided the assets, and Royal Stag became part of Pernod Ricard.
By 2001, the whisky was selling over 125,000 cases per month.
In 2002, it reached 1.75 million cases per year.
Sales kept growing—3 million cases in 2004, nearly 4 million in 2006, and 8 million in 2009.
By 2010, sales hit 10.6 million cases, and in 2011, it became Pernod Ricard’s best-selling brand, even surpassing Absolut Vodka.
To meet changing customer tastes, Pernod Ricard launched a premium version, Royal Stag Barrel Select, in December 2011.
This whisky was placed between Royal Stag and Blenders Pride in quality and price.
A UK-based company, CARTILS, designed its branding and packaging, keeping the bottle shape similar but adding a sleeker look with a gold-toned stag illustration.
Royal Stag’s success is due to its quality, innovation, and focus on what customers want, making it one of the top whisky brands in India and worldwide.
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