Diageo’s House of Spirits

Enter Diageo’s House of Spirits...if you dare! (Mooohooohooo…)

The concept presented by the agency was simple: A Halloween in-store promotion for Diageo featuring 11 brands, each styled with its own cocktail and presented in a room within a haunted mansion. As I worked with our prop stylist to bring the rooms to life according to each brand’s guidelines, it took shape before our eyes. The client was so happy with our vision that we added a day to the shoot for images to be used in an ecommerce application where the custom recipes are shared via QR codes.

Diageo (client), Theory House (agency and creative direction), Stacey Stolman (beverage styling), Deb Ruggieri (prop styling), Lackawanna Creative Studio (photography studio)

I love them all, of course, but there are a few that stand out in my mind:

Bulleit in the Foyer is my favorite image of the bunch, both because bourbon is near and dear to my heart as a Southern girl, but also because of the vibe of this room — both sophisticated and rugged at the same time. And that cocktail, mmmmm.

Crown Royal in the Parlor is nothing short of glam in shades of purple and gold with a smoky atmosphere.

And if it’s a truly traditional, spooky Halloween setting you’re craving, Smirnoff in the Cellar has you covered. This one was so much fun to put together, especially because I wasn’t the one holding a heavy platter of dry ice over the set!

With 11 brands to cover, I could go on until next Halloween. Instead, I made a cool graphic so you can see just how this haunted mansion unfolded. I had an amazing time working with this talented team, and look forward to many more collaborations.