THE STORY
In 2012, Heaven Hill Distilleries in Louisville Kentucky decided to re-create a vintage wheat bourbon originally named Old Fitzgerald, using the original distilling method but with an updated taste profile.
THE OBJECTIVE
Create the name, story and packaging for this new whiskey and put it on the map with other well known competitive brands such as Buffalo Trace, Makers Mark, and Jim Beam.
THE RESULT
John E. Fitzgerald's "Larceny" was born. A campaign and story is created directly from the packaging design. The design features a die cut keyhole with inset key to go along with the "legend" of John E. Fitzgerald. Revealed in a family biography of Pappy Van Winkle, John E. Fitzgerald was not actually the man he has always been portrayed as. He was in fact a bonded treasury agent, who at the time were the only people legally allowed to carry the keys to the barrel storage warehouses. Mr. Fitzgerald apparently had a particularly discerning palate for fine Bourbon, and would use his warehouse keys to gain access to the best barrels, which eventually became known around the distillery as “Fitzgerald barrels”. Herbst, and then Pappy, immortalized the man who had both the keys and the fine taste by naming the brand Old Fitzgerald.
WINNER - Packaging - “Larceny Bourbon” - American Graphic Design Awards - 2015
1ST PLACE - New Product Packaging - “Larceny Bourbon” Beverage Dynamics - 2013
1ST PLACE - New Product Ad - “Larceny Bourbon” Beverage Dynamics - 2013
MERIT AWARD - New Product Packaging - “Larceny Bourbon” - Milwaukee99 Awards - 2013
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THE STORY
Basil Hayden’s is a discovery brand that celebrates social occasions and convivial moments. Unique, high-touch consumer experiences that center around craftsmanship and connections are a major focus for the brand. The local Kentucky team looked to gain relevance and brand affinity with bartenders by offering these unique Basil Hayden's experiences.
THE OBJECTIVE
Proof was asked to help reach key flagship bartenders in Kentucky and connect them with the brand in a meaningful way, inspiring consideration and recommendations. We used Mother’s Day as an occasion to give bartenders and their moms a delightful and surprising daytime experience with the brand.
THE RESULT
The grounds of the Whitehall Mansion were transformed to host a bourbon brunch featuring opportunities for connection. From the welcome to the parting gift, guests explored and experienced the brand in unconventional ways within the environment through unique tasting experiences, garden bars, tasty bourbon cocktails, custom poetry and photo activations.
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THE STORY
Courvoisier’s international imagery for social media, ecommerce, and content needed a refresh for 2017. The monotone images they had been using for years and had paid a large amount for, were starting to appear outdated and repetitive.
THE OBJECTIVE
Travel to Jarnac France to the Courvoisier vineyards during the 2016 grape harvest and capture everything about the brand and how it’s made during this special time of year. Complete and capture beautiful timeless photography to be used for years to come and within a budget well under professional photographer rates.
THE RESULT
With a crew consisting of myself as the photographer and one stylist, 3 cameras, and one drone, we traveled to Jarnac & Paris and captured over 2000 images in 5 days of intense shooting from dusk until dawn. We covered 3 vineyards, the distillery, the cooperage, the chateau grounds, the bottling plant, Paris city vignettes & more. The client was ecstatic with the results and the images have been used in multiple channels in the UK and have now started to appear in media for Courvoisier USA.
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THE STORY
Despite the pandemic and by 2021, Impact networking had been experiencing exponential growth of an average of 24% a year for 3 years running. Notwithstanding this success, they were in dire need of a brand refresh as the brand was suffering from dated and inconsistent design and overall lack of identity all-together. Sales enablement materials and digital content were lacking in tone and unity. Impact sought out to find a solution within the corporate marketing team by hiring a lead creative to home in the brand and create a new vision moving forward to help take the brand to the next level through this exponential growth.
THE OBJECTIVE
Give the impact brand a shot to the arm while respecting its foundations and beliefs. Refresh the brand’s identity and create new brand guidelines without templatizing to allow more creative liberties in design moving forward. Take away the stigma of a corporate company and create an approachable brand voice that speaks to mid-sized business that need help and the everyday people that run them.
THE RESULT
I came on board in 2021 ready to take on a team of designers that had been working off of a 2-page guideline book that had a logo, 2 fonts and a tagline. Within 6 months I created a new brand guideline that was based on a more artful approach. The first step was taking on the logo itself. It was Impact’s only recognizable asset which was valuable in my opinion. But deconstructing it by liberating the icon from the letters, and not being afraid to use the assets in single color versions that work with our palette, elevated the brand to a more modern place. Overall, taking a minimalist and more digestible approach with our font choices and materials will helped us appear more professional and approachable. Today’s world is filled with so much visual stimulation, it’s smart to remember that more is sometimes less. I also thought we need to have some fun with the brand, and to not take ourselves too seriously.
The design team understood my initial vision immediately, and we were able to quickly modernize our look and feel in a beautiful way without shocking the system. With a fresh perspective on design thinking that rarely has limits and will never feel “corporate” Impact will be set up to stand apart from the competition. The Impact branding of the future will most certainly be recognized as ‘Impact’ but will never be templatized, allowing designers to be artfully expressive in every channel we show up in, creating more meaningful brand moments.
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THE STORY
In 2017, Harrod’s of London and Suntory Whisky collaborated on an opportunity to display Suntory’s premium whiskies in a sizable retail space within the luxury spirits room floor. After some negotiation, the area to be designed would be a “walk-in vault” to showcase the flagship portfolio.
THE OBJECTIVE
Create and design a premium branded space called “House of Suntory” where consumers can experience the harmony of Japanese nature and craftsmanship that goes into every bottle of whisky. Provide education on the premium portfolio in an interesting and interactive way, and blend in seamlessly with Harrod’s highest standards of luxury within the spirits room floor.
THE RESULT
Completed in early 2018, the “House of Suntory” is an immersive space built of floating oak panels, acrylic glass, and modern digital technology in minimalist form. Limited edition bottles hover on invisible shelving throughout, highlighted by dramatic under-lighting that accentuates the Japanese quality craftsmanship. The focus of the room is the five flagship variants sitting at the base of a 70” 4k monitor with Perch interactive touchscreen technology. Visitors are prompted to “pick up” a bottle of choice and the experience begins based on the variant. In its static state, the screen displays beautiful seasonal imagery from the distillery grounds, creating a welcoming serene environment. Currently, the House of Suntory is enjoying a major uptick in sales and combined premium brand sales are up 12.8%. Harrods plans to keep the installation up through 2019.
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THE STORY
Every year Beam Suntory attends the Duty Free & Travel Retail Global Summit in Cannes France as the world’s third largest spirits company. The competition to stand out amongst key players is paramount to securing interest and brand placement in the global duty free arena.
THE OBJECTIVE
Create a unique comfortable space at the GTR conference to showcase Beam Suntory’s vast portfolio, hold key stakeholder meetings, and flagship brand events. More specifically, on one night, transform the space into the Bowmore Vault, to promote brand the new travel-retail range inspired by the distillery’s legendary No.1 Vaults, the world’s oldest Scotch maturation warehouse for a party of 75 guests.
THE RESULT
Cannes is known for its association with wealth, its luxury hotels and especially it’s yachts. As the summit takes place directly on the French Riviera, it made perfect sense to create an experience on the water unlike no other. We chartered the 121 foot Luxury Yacht “Grenadines III” and transformed it into Beam Suntory’s headquarters for the week long conference. The on-water environment provided a fitting and desirable getaway from the usual indoor exhibit spaces and proved a major success. The idea had the conference talking and as expected, there were a record number of visits. In addition, the event that was held for Bowmore Vaults proved a major success and the Bowmore travel retail range experienced an impressive number of pre-orders for international duty free locations. Since 2016, several other brand companies have followed in suit and have showcased their brands on yachts. The waterfront is now a must-visit part of the conference.
THE EXPERIENCE: THE YACHT
The jetty reception tent alongside the yacht provided an excellent space to offer guests a signature cocktail and get some brand experiences while waiting to get onboard. A massive 30 foot glass custom display of the entire Beam Suntory portfolio flanked one side of the quay along with some casual seating and cocktail tables. On the opposite side, a 70” monitor played looped brand footage to entertain guest. Upon boarding, guests could mingle about on 2 levels containing 2 bars, multiple lounge areas, and private meeting rooms. All areas of the ship were adorned with custom bottle displays to flow seamlessly with the layout of the ships look and feel.
THE EXPERIENCE: THE BOWMORE No. 1 VAULT PARTY
For one night only, Grenadines III was completely transformed into a recreation of the Bowmore No. 1 Vaults, the world’s oldest Scotch maturation warehouse for a party of 75 VIP customers and guests. All displays were switched out and custom vault doors were installed on the ships stern doors for a dramatic entrance. Guests enjoyed Bowmore elevated tastings, oyster luges, live bagpipes, and an authentic VR experience taking them directly to the real distillery.
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THE STORY
Beam Suntory’s regional field team often strikes brand partnerships with professional sports teams and franchises that are mutually beneficial both to the brands involved and franchise revenue. Within the larger partnerships, most often there is an opportunity to create a branded footprint inside stadiums and airports and buildout brand experiences in the form of bars and concession areas.
THE OBJECTIVE
Build and design brand experiences within stadium concourses, suites, and outfield areas that connect the brands with consumers. Offer quality cocktails, and a positive memorable experience for fans to enjoy before, during and after sports events. Create smart and attractive seating areas, using bar materials and attractive displays that communicate the brand’s personalities. Consider speed of service in design, convenience for fans, and thoughtful cocktail programming modified for a sporting environment and crowd. Create desirable “stadium destinations” for fans to visit and meet at on a regular basis.
THE RESULT
Between 2015 and 2018 I designed over 10 in-stadium experiences across multiple brands for several teams in the NBA, NFL and MLB. Often starting with a blank canvas, these bars and experiences were designed to connect fans with the brands and enhance the stadiums premium offerings in the spirits category. To this day, many of the structures are running under continuous contract, and have become popular destinations that are celebrated additions to each stadiums amenities.
Pictured:
THE JIM BEAM BLACK CLUB at PPG PAINTS ARENA
THE JIM BEAM BOURBON BAR at NEW ERA FIELD
EFFEN VODKA BAR at at SUNTRUST PARK
THE JIM BEAM HIGHBALL BAR at CITI FIELD
THE STILLHOUSE SOUTH at BMO HARRIS BRADLEY CENTER
HORNITOS HACIENDA at CITI FIELD
THE JIM BEAM BOURBON BAR at CITI FIELD
JIM BEAM APPLE BAR CONCEPT at CITI FIELD
RUMTIKI CONCEPT at LAX AIRPORT
JIM BEAM POP-UP EXPERIENCE at the BROOKLYN BOARDWALK
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THE STORY
The competitive pressures in the vodka category are the highest in the spirits market. Gaining shelf space requires new-to-market releases regularly. The popularity of flavored vodka has been Burnett’s launching pad to catapult the brand in US sales.
THE OBJECTIVE
We leveraged the brand’s 27 innovative flavors with arresting graphics, while positioning Burnett’s as THE vodka with more fun and the most flavors. We targeted key growth markets with a younger audience (21-29).
THE RESULT
The "More fun with every flavor" campaign was born. A fully integrated, multi-platform “more fun with every flavor” campaign highlighting festive party occasions that the Burnett’s consumers enjoy was launched. The multi-million dollar campaign includes national print and digital advertising, on- and off-premise programming, digital marketing and social media programs. Between 2013 and 2015 Burnett's Vodka has shown a 19% increase in national sales in the flavored vodka market and continues to be the 7th best selling vodka in the US. Burnett's jumped from #18 to the #10 sales leader in total US spirits in just a few years with sales in excess of 1.5 million cases.
3RD PLACE - Print Ad Full Page - “Burnett’s Vodka” - Beverage Dynamics Awards - 2013
The website designed for the campaign can be seen here: www.burnettsvodka.com
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THE STORY
In 2012, the people of Evan Williams decided they wanted a fresh campaign to replace the current campaign which had been running for 2 years.
THE OBJECTIVE
Create a campaign including outdoor & magazine advertising, and create a 30 second spot which is stemmed directly from the print campaign designs.
THE RESULT
"Seriously Good Bourbon" was the idea. A two-part campaign was created. The first focused on the message, clean and simple. Creating a series of simple, clean layouts using orange bourbony backgrounds and textures combined with clean and straightforward photography communicated the message effectively. A 30 second TV spot was written, developed and brought the ads to life. In addition, a packaging update was also executed with some glass blown signature features.
America's #3 best-selling straight whiskey brand, saw double-digit growth from 2013-2014 when category sales were flat and continues to exceed category growth. The latest campaign concepts tested with a dramatic 54% purchase intent.
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OVER THE YEARS
Packaging in the spirits category has always been a passion of mine. Here is a collection of work that I designed and / or directed between 2010 to present.
I started taking photography seriously in about 2004. I had always loved taking pictures and was using old 35mm cameras as early as 5th grade. In 2004 I was freelance designing for a restaurant when the owner has mentioned he needed someone to shoot the interiors of the place, along with some food shots. The rest is history and I was hooked. Photography remains one of my favorite parts of the creative process and is a part of my everyday life when I'm not working. 99% of the time, you will find me with a camera on my shoulder and if not, I'm probably shooting with my iPhone.
Since 2004, I have photographed a variety of subjects including interiors, food & beverage, events, and portraits. My work has been featured in several publications including Chicago Reader, New City, DiningOut & ChicagoScene. I moonlight as one of VHT Studios elite field photographers for real estate sales in Chicago. Through the years I have acquired several clients through repute, including notable real estate agents and prominent restaurateurs. A few clients include Morimoto, Trump Hotel, Yellow Tail, Perillo BMW, Baird & Warner, DiningOut, and Jam Productions.
Visit my photography website and see much more here: www.crisp-creative.com
THE STORY
Funshade makes industrial, tough, commercial umbrellas that are very large in size and are built to withstand the elements.
THE OBJECTIVE
Show how a Funshade is the last outdoor umbrella you will ever buy. They also are usually installed in a lot of fun areas like pools, theme parks, water parks and recreational areas. Two campaigns were created. The first focused on the "toughness" of the parts and the second targeted the fun aspects of the product.
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THE STORY
In 2005, The Shed Aquarium in Chicago celebrated it's 75th anniversary and was looking to brand the commemorative event with a new logo and some large format signage.
THE OBJECTIVE
I was hired as a freelance designer to take on the project as an extra hand to the already busy in-house staff that worked full time on location.
THE RESULT
My design and signage was chosen to represent the museum. Banners and signage were prominently displayed in front of the museum, throughout the interiors, and around the city of Chicago for 1 year.
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THE STORY
Carquest was shopping for a new agency and some fresh creative in 2013.
THE CHALLENGE
Come up with a creative strategy that connects people with the daunting task of buying car parts and make it a pleasant and fun experience. Impress the client with a refreshed look and bring a new angle to the current outdated creative.
THE RESULT
The focus was on the everyday people and how even the people you might never guess, shop at Carquest. Shopping at Carquest is so easy with their brilliant customer service, wide range of products, and low prices. Even an everyday person with little or no knowledge of car parts and repairs will be better informed after every visit. Print ads, transit, outdoor and TV spots were presented to the client. While we didn't win the business overall, the agency was awarded some new business in POS and print.
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THE STORY:
In preparation for a presentation for Heaven Hill Distilleries in 2011, I wrote and art directed two additional campaigns to provide more range to what was being presented. While neither campaign was chosen, they scored incredibly well in focus group and online testing. One campaign actually out-scored the winning campaign that eventually became the "Seriously Good Bourbon" campaign. I wrote all headlines and taglines in these two series and established myself as a copywriter in addition to being a designer.
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THE STORY
Nate and Lauren Belden had a dream to one day own and operate their own vineyard, and create some of Sonoma's finest wines. In 2005 that dream came true and they purchased the land, which became the Belden Barns Vineyards of today. The vineyard produces Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.
Early on, they needed an identity and some labels for their wines. I utilized the story of their wedding reception, which had a "Tree of Wishes" in which guests tagged wishes onto the tree using string and red tags. The tags also represented Nate & Laurens wish come true as vineyard owners. As a nod to the rustic style of their wedding, I selected recyclable kraft paper labels.
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