Whether you are creating visuals, music, furniture or even whiskey, there is always that moment when you put everything on the line and realise you can never turn back. And it is that realisation and the feeling that comes from it that US Bourbon company, Rabbit Hole is attempting to capture in their first national campaign titled “There’s No Going Back.”
Through a six-part unscripted film series highlighting the path that exceptional creatives take in boldly pursuing their dreams, the through-the-line campaign underpins the fascinating and inspirational journey of the brand’s founder/whiskey maker Kaveh Zamanian who left a 20-plus year career in psychology to pursue his own dream.
In each film, Kaveh Zamanian, the former psychologist, psychoanalyst and academic-turned-whiskey maker, conducts one-on-one interviews behind the camera and over a glass of whiskey with individuals who are committed to their respective crafts. Interviews are captured against a stark white background, in a minimalistic style, influenced by Richard Avedon, to deliver an intimate and focused experience for the viewer.
Kaveh’s warm-hearted interview technique is aimed at allowing the creatives he has interviewed to open up about what drives them, and recall the moment they committed to fulfilling their dreams, revealing the “there’s no going back” moment, as Kaveh calls it.
Kaveh Zamanian said, “The craziest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done was to put everything on the line to follow my dream of becoming a whiskey maker. Being able to turn a grain into whiskey is something magical and because I took this leap, I get to do what I love every single day. I hope that through this campaign, my team and I can inspire others to push past their boundaries, pursue their true calling and create a legacy of their own, regardless of what’s happening in the world today, tomorrow or the next day.”
The campaign features visual artist and activist Briony Douglas, hat maker to the stars Gunner Foxx, lead singer of The Kills Alison Mosshart, furniture maker Stephen Kenn and glassblower Ché Rhodes, all who share intimate details about “going all in” to pursue their passions. The films are available for viewing on YouTube.
In the final film of the series, Kaveh Zamanian is interviewed by his wife Heather, a psychologist and the muse behind the brand. As his interview unfolds, Kaveh opens up about fulfilling his lifelong dream and reveals how Rabbit Hole got its name.
Michael Motamedi, Rabbit Hole’s chief marketing officer said, “Now that we’ve reached our goal of national distribution, we felt it was the right time to tell the Rabbit Hole story broadly through ‘There’s No Going Back.’ This tagline is emblazoned on our Distillery, and we named the campaign ‘There’s No Going Back’ because it speaks to who we are as a brand. We believe that everyone creates their own destiny and we are firmly committed to supporting creative voices.
In sharing the success stories of people who have made their dreams come true, we hope to inspire individuals, and look forward to being there to celebrate the moments of fulfilment and success that happen for them along the way.”
There’s No Going Back features an original song written and performed for the campaign by independent singer-songwriter Ethan Burns who’s also written and performed music for Blacklist and other television series.
Rabbit Hole will run the campaign across digital, social media and out-of-home executions through to mid-January 2021. Murals, wall-scapes and billboards will appear in markets including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Columbus and the brand’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
For more information go to rabbitholedistillery.com or follow Rabbit Hole on Instagram @Rabbit Hole and Facebook @ Rabbit Hole Distillery.
