Empress 1908 Gin Makes Oscars Debut with New Cinematic Ad Spot

To match the glamour of the Oscars red carpet on March 2, award-winning, San Francisco-based agency Erich & Kallman–AdAdge’s 2024 North American Small Agency of the Year–created a brand campaign for Empress 1908 Gin, the fastest growing and #1 ranked ultra-premium gin in the U.S. The :30 spot, entitled, “Splash of Color,” is Empress 1908 Gin’s award show debut and kickoff to the brand’s first-ever North America media campaign. 

Setting the scene

The spot opens in black and white with a chic, well-dressed woman quietly making her way to the bar before ordering an Empress & Tonic. The bartender grabs a bottle of Empress 1908 Indigo Gin–the only visual in bright technicolor–and starts pouring. As soon as the gin hits the glass, the vibrant motion of colors swirl dramatically, changing the surroundings. As the woman turns to face the room, the crowd is now suddenly colorful, stylish, and elegant, with everyone enjoying their own vibrant and beautiful Empress 1908 Gin cocktails.

“The black and white opening offers timelessness, while the introduction of color through Empress 1908 Indigo Gin immediately takes us into the present, with an elegant, modern-day celebration,” said Eric Kallman, Co-Founder and CCO, Erich & Kallman. “Since the ad is airing on Hollywood’s biggest night, we wanted it to reflect the height of glamour.” 

About the production 

Claire Arnold, the independent creative director, art director, filmmaker, and creative consultant based in London, directed “Splash of Color" and enlisted visually-driven production company La Pac, who operated in partnership with Arts & Sciences in Los Angeles.

About the campaign

The new “Make Life Extraordinary” campaign from Empress 1908 Gin launches with a media buy around the 97th Academy Awards featuring the “Splash of Color” spot. The cinematic spot dramatizes and brings to life how Empress 1908 Gin inspires the extraordinary–elevating everyday experiences with its sophistication and distinctiveness, as the campaign continues across TV, streaming, digital, social, OOH, and print through 2025. 

"Erich & Kallman didn’t just capture the look and flavor of Empress 1908 Gin — they brilliantly showcased how its striking presentation inspires a whole new style of cocktail creativity and enjoyment,” said Eric Dopkins, Founder and CEO of Milestone Brands. “For our Hollywood debut on the Oscars telecast, we wanted to create something that felt like a magnificent ode to cinema across the eras, which was achieved in a visually stunning way.” 

About Empress 1908 Gin

Handcrafted in small-batch copper-pot stills, the portfolio of award-winning Empress 1908 Gins are made by Victoria Distillers, one of Canada's oldest small-batch spirits companies located in Victoria, British Columbia. Founded in 2017, the distillery has been recognized for its excellence by New York World Wine & Spirits Competition 2017, World Gin Awards 2018, Canadian Artisan Spirits Awards 2019 and Beverage Dynamics' Spirits Growth Brand Awards in both 2021 and 2022. The Empress 1908 Gin spirits portfolio is crafted by Master Distiller Phil Lecours and comprises Empress 1908 Indigo Gin, Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin and Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin. Empress 1908 Gin is the perfect combination of exquisite taste, delicate aroma, soft texture, and remarkable presentation that provides the perfect base for a new aesthetic of cocktail creation and enjoyment. Please visit the Empress website for more information.

Empress 1908 Gin is a part of the family of Milestone Brands LLC, a premium spirits company based in Austin, Texas that was founded in 2016 by two local entrepreneurs and veterans of the beverage and spirits industry, Eric Dopkins, former CEO of Deep Eddy Vodka and Chad Auler, creator of Savvy Vodka and co-founder of Deep Eddy Vodka. As a national spirits supplier, acquirer, innovator and marketer of alcohol beverage brands, Milestone's portfolio also includes Dulce Vida Spirits, Campo Bravo Tequila, Naranja Orange Liqueur and American Born Whiskey.

About Erich & Kallman 

Erich & Kallman is an independent, award winning agency with offices in Austin, TX and San Francisco, CA. C-founded by Steven Erich and Eric Kallman, the agency has set itself apart with original, focused and insight driven messaging that operates with a simple, singular objective: likeability. Their results have inspired long-term partnerships and numerous campaigns from clients like Hershey, Amazon Prime Video, Gulf States Toyota, Impossible Foods, Meineke Car Care, iRobot, Take 5 Oil, Impossible Foods, General Mills and Disney+. Among their many industry honors, Erich & Kallman was recently named the #1 Small Agency in the U.S. in Ad Age’s 2024 Small Agency Awards – their fourth time being recognized by Ad Age.