Willem Dafoe Waxes Campy-Poetic for Laphroaig

But a barmy barley-man nearly steals the show

“When I was young, I watched the astronauts go into space. What a challenge. It inspired me. So, I locked myself in a closet for two days to try to get a taste of that experience.”

In a 3-minute film, Willem Dafoe brings his whisper-breathy delivery to bear for Laphroaig scotch whisky. He gets smoky and intense—just like the beverage, presumably.

“The taste … how can I put it into words?” he asks after a sip. “It’s like kissing a mermaid in a rocky rowboat on a fiesty sea. Like sucking on a burnt match … like licking a walrus chomping on a seaweed cigar.”

It turns out that Will’s reading customer takes on Laphroaig. Dude rocks as always, oozing grizzled self-awareness, chuckling and emoting on a mostly empty set, his spiel punctuated by oddball visual cues—most notably a dancing barley-man.

View Creative developed the campaign, with music video veteran Tim Pope directing.

Dafoe gives an exceptional performance. He elevates some very silly material to the moon (in keeping with the space-travel theme). Props to Pope as well, who spices the narrative just enough to please the eye without stopping the flow.

There’s a limited edition Laphroaig Dafoe product coming in 2026, we’re told. Maybe that’ll taste like method acting at the bottom of a boiling sea with the sun falling out of the sky. Or something.

The global push drops today, mainly on digital and social, with OOH, print and in-store promos in the mix.