3 weeks, collaboration
After Effects, Photoshop
Art Direction, Designer
Motion, Branding
Instructors: Jill Jill Vartenigian and Erik Fadiman
James E. Pepper distilled his first whiskey as early as 1780 in western Virginia. Throughout the 19th century, the family expanded the distillery and established a nationally known brand. The brand was relaunched in 2008 by Amir Peay who guided the company into a decade-long research project into the history of the storied distillery. The subbrand 1776 was created to celebrate the company’s long history and ties to the earliest days of the American republic. How might an animated logo help tell the story of the newly revived James E. Pepper Distillery?
By focusing on the history of the distillery’s founding, historical objects that evoke pride in the history of the American Revolution are used to reflect the company's pride in their history and the quality of the subbrand 1776. By alternating between historical artifacts and the 1776 product, the ad links patriotism with the deep roots of the American bourbon distillery.
The inspiration for the ad’s format was found in an animated logo created by BoldScandinavia for Historiska (the Swedish History Museum). In their version, 30images representing 10,000 years of Swedish history rapidly cycle as part of an initial mark.
The ad for 1776 takes this core idea but cycles through images of the product with images of objects from the Revolutionary War era. A bit of wry humor is inserted by arranging a bottle of 1776 and a lowball glass of bourbon on an extraordinary example of early American furniture production.
