On Wednesday, The Glenlivet unveiled its newest campaign, “Beyond Speyside,” for the reimagining of its 12-year-old Scotch starring Scottish actor and brand ambassador, Thomas Doherty.

Scottish-Jamaican designer Nicholas Daley styled Doherty for the project.

Beyond Speyside is a new series of whiskies inspired by global destinations. The first campaign sees Doherty exploring and immersing himself within Jamaica’s vibrant culture alongside former Miss Universe Jamaica, Miqueal-Symone Williams. The Jamaican edition features a tropical twist with the whisky finished in casks that previously held Jamaican rum — inspired by Treasure Beach on the south coast of the island.

In an interview with WWD, Doherty said the ongoing partnership is a “match made in heaven.” He was initially drawn to partnering with The Glenlivet, given his personal Scottish heritage and being a whisky lover.

“In this world of what I do as an actor, it’s very rare to find opportunities to work with a brand who is so aligned with you personally, in terms of being so proud of my own history and heritage,” said Doherty. “These days, people just kind of pretend and wear this mask to sell a product. With the Glenlivet, it’s definitely an authentic honoring of my culture and where I come from. It’s so special to have a love for a brand and work with them, and then get a holiday to Jamaica — it’s a win, win, win.”

Meanwhile, Daley shared that he had fond memories growing up of his father, who’s Jamaican, enjoying a dram at family gatherings — he said the brand has always had his dual heritages tied to it.

“When The Glenlivet reached out about a potential partnership, I was intrigued,” said Daley. “Once they shared the concept behind the Jamaica Edition, I knew immediately it was something I wanted to be part of. [The story] mirrors my own journey of navigating and celebrating two cultures that have shaped who I am, both personally and creatively.”

Daley noted that the whisky brand’s values align with his own as a designer — with their shared “deep respect for heritage but also a drive to evolve with it — pushing tradition forward, not leaving it behind.”

As a designer, Daley said he’s always looking for ways to reflect real lived experiences through his clothing and creative endeavors. Seeing both sides of his heritage represented and merging meant a great deal to him — and he sees the start of this partnership as a special moment of pride for him.

Doherty said working with Daley was an “amazing” experience. When the two met for the first time on set at the Jamaican villa, they got along immediately.

Daley’s mother even made a pot of jam to give to Doherty and brought it to Jamaica with him to give as a present — which Doherty said is a gesture of endearment among the Scots.

Both the designer and actor described the experience of working together as collaborative. Daley said that Doherty has a mix of Scottish charm and modern edge, making him “the perfect canvas” to bring the campaign’s story to life.

Of the looks selected, the designer explained that Doherty wears a Nicholas Daley rugby shirt in the colors of the Scottish and Jamaican flags, both countries’ national flowers, the Scottish thistle and Jamaican hibiscus, with olive-green pants with tartan in the back pockets to merge the two cultures into one.

“I approached the styling the same way I do my own design work — by blending traditional craftsmanship and textiles of Scotland with the color, rhythm and expressive spirit of Jamaica,” said Daley. “I wanted the look to feel authentic so every detail was considered. The subtle integration of heritage felt like a quiet but powerful statement. We also styled the cast in pieces that reflected real elements of my own background — like the custom T worn by the record shop owner, which features a graphic inspired by the reggae club that my parents ran in Scotland in the ’70s. Then there’s the mint crochet vest, a nod to the classic Jamaican mesh marina, reinterpreted with a modern twist. It was all about creating a visual language that felt honest to both cultures.”

Doherty said that after working with Daley on the campaign, he has a deep appreciation for how the designer has melded his two cultures together into clothes.

“I love his stuff — and I have such an appreciation for that ability to meld these two worlds together in fashion,” said Doherty. “It comes from such an authentic and honest space.”

As for exploration within his own life, Daley said that exploration is all about community — whether it’s traveling to new cities, meeting new people and building connections with creatives globally. He said that through his brand, with strong hubs across New York, London, Jamaica and Japan, he’s always exploring a multitude of cultural exchanges that have shaped both himself and his work.

Meanwhile, Doherty believes that the ultimate exploration is searching one’s true self — “I think the most honest, truthful and worthy exploration one can do is into yourself. [I’m] really figuring out who I am and who I want to be.”