ASSIGNMENT NINETEEN: A PITCH FOR A BRANDY DISTILLER

CREATIVE CLASS: ASSIGNMENTS TO HELP CONSTRUCT A POWERFUL PORTFOLIO

BRANDY PITCH: LET’S GET THIS GIG

WHAT IS A PITCH?

When a company decides they want to look at a new ad agency, they let it be known (many ways) that they are ready to be “pitched”. That means agencies can put together creative work and ideas in order to meet with the client and ‘pitch’ their services. These can be simple meetings with slides and charts, to elaborate presentations with video, dummy ads, and more.

If an agency feels they can do better creative than the company is getting now (and can back that creativity up with some stats, numbers, theories, examples etc…) they will spend thousands (tens of thousands) on that presentation to get the gig. Spending $10,000 to get a two year deal with Burger King is a no-brainer.

I have occasionally been hired to work with local agencies on such presentations, and my agency hired photographers on three or four such presentations when we needed to have creative in the meeting. I have usually been paid, but it is not a full rate thing… cover expenses and such.

The image will only be used for the presentation, so there is no usage attached other than ‘no’… heh.

In this assignment, you are being asked to help an ad agency make a presentation to a client for their business. Your job is to deliver a killer image within the constraints of time and budget.

Their budget is about $450 and 500 for this shot, so they don’t want you to go crazy on props or anything like that. But they do want to make sure you hit a couple of notes:

UPSCALE BRANDY AND CIGAR BAR

Brandy or Whisky colored liquid in brandy snifters.
Cigars in bands.
If the cigar is lit, smoke should be visible.
The cigar does not have to be a premium, but it should look large (no slims, or cigarillos)
Airy and open looking background/set… outside would be good too since the cigar and brandy store now has an outside grill area they are pushing.
People are optional, but if they are in the shot they should be in the background and out of focus.
No ash in ashtray even if the cigar is burning.
Happy and upbeat visuals.
Food is not an option, so no food

A BRIEF…

As you approach this assignment, keep in mind all of the tropes and mythology of Brandy.

“Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy.”
— Samuel Johnson

“I neither want it [Brandy] nor need it, but I should think it pretty hazardous to interfere with the ineradicable habit of a lifetime.”
— Winston Churchill

“The most sensible thing to do to people you hate is to drink their brandy.”
— Elizabeth Taylor

Brandy is one of those liquors that has a brand all its own. It is considered warm, friendly, and sophisticated. Brandy is not only a drink but a color, a lifestyle, a destination for the pallet that defines one’s taste.

Now, whether that is right or wrong is certainly debatable, but the point is that is how the world thinks of it in a general fashion. So too must we when crafting an image that will appeal to Brandy connoisseurs and cigar aficionados.

What is the correct color palette for a drink associated with warm?
How should we light the liquid? Is it enough to add some light penetrating from the back, or should we add something to the reflection on the glass itself? And for that matter, what kind of glass do we use?

This assignment calls for a sophisticated approach – whether masculine or feminine – one that speaks to the general attitude regarding Brandy and its value.

Aesthetics across the board. From surfaces to backgrounds to props, this shoot should be about a particular type of lifestyle.

Shoot accordingly.

ASSIGNMENT:

Four images for a Brandy Pitch.

One marketing piece for the Brandy pitch.

Cigars are optional.

Consider a pour shot, a static shot of the bottle, or a space with a romantic ambiance.

Here are five ideas for the pitch.

Heritage and Craftsmanship Campaign:
- Photography: Capture the meticulous process of distillation through macro photography—close-ups of the amber liquid flowing from the still, artisans hand-sealing the barrels, and the first pour from a freshly uncorked bottle.
- Graphic Design: Use vintage-style fonts and elements to highlight the brand’s heritage and craftsmanship. Create a family crest or seal that embodies the brand’s history and quality.
“Day to Night” Series:
- Photography: Showcase the versatility of the spirits from a bright, refreshing daytime drink (perhaps a brandy cocktail in a sunlit garden) to a deep, contemplative whiskey neat by a fireplace at night.
- Graphic Design: Use a split-screen style layout that contrasts vibrant daytime colors with moody, dark tones of the night, unified by the central theme of the beverage.
The Perfect Pair:
- Photography: Stage elegant food pairings with each spirit. For brandy, think rich desserts like chocolate fondants; for whiskey, robust flavors like smoked cheeses or charcuterie.
- Graphic Design: Design a minimalist, chic menu-like layout that describes each pairing, focusing on typography and clean lines to keep the attention on the photographs.
Elements of Nature:
- Photography: Emphasize the natural ingredients and environment that influence the flavor profiles of the spirits. Think misty forests for whiskey and sunny orchards for brandy.
- Graphic Design: Incorporate natural textures into the backgrounds—wood grains, leaf patterns, or watercolor washes—that subtly speak to each spirit’s essence.
Collector’s Edition Bottling:
- Photography: Highlight a special release bottle design in a dramatic setting, like surrounded by the raw materials used in the distillation process (wood, grains, fruits).
- Graphic Design: Create an exclusive package design that feels like a collector’s item—think foil stamping, embossing, and certificates of authenticity that appeal to the collector’s market.

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TOOLS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED

Canva and Express both have wonderful presentation tools built in. But if you want something a bit different, here are some stand-alone tools that could be just the thing for you.

AI DESIGN TOOLS

PRESENTATIONS

TOME
Speak your mind. Whatever you want to say, Tome helps you figure out how to say it, without losing the nuance or struggling for hours with design and formatting. Free version available.

Magicslides.app
Say bye-bye to boring, laborious presentations making. Let the computer do the hard work and make the presentations for you! For Google Slides. Free version available.

SlidesAI.io
Very cool and very inutitive way to put together a deck or presentation. Free version available.

SlidesGPT
This is a very interesting and easy to use tool. Free version available.

AI LOGO TOOLS

WIX Logo Maker
One of the earliest on the market.$99 makes it very affordable.

DesignEvo
DesignEvo is a free online logo maker with 10,000+ templates that anyone can use to bring to life a compelling, unique logo in minutes. Free version avaiable.

Looka
A very good logo maker. And it can give you a full brand kit along with it.
Check it out.