DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGY BEHIND
⁺₊✧ KRAKEN GOLD SPICED RUM ✧₊⁺
A SUPER BOWL AD

• ⁺₊✧ Pixels with purpose ✧₊⁺
• 4/6/2025

Why was this Kraken Ad made?

This wasn’t just another promo. This was my declaration. Up until now, most of my work was labeled “cool product posts”, not full ads. And while that got me noticed, it boxed me in. I knew I had more to offer. So I built this ad as a way to break out. This project was about blending my own bold, creative voice with an established brand. It’s easy to go over board. It’s also easy to play it safe. But magic happens in that in-between where creativity enhances a brand, instead of overshadowing it. I wanted to show clients what it looks like when art direction, sound design, motion, and synthesized together. Crafted around their product, but elevated by Nexus Hue's vision. I help brands hit that gold standard, and go beyond it!

The same way Proximo Spirits aimed for “THE NEW GOLD STANDARD in spiced rum thanks to its superb taste” I wanted my work to be seen as real advertisements and if I kept making videos like my coke promo I would have been boxed in... This was my way of exiting that perception of my work & aiming for...a new gold standard for my clients lol

The Artistic Process Behind the Kraken Rum Gold Spiced Ad

The Kraken's New Gold Spiced Rum has an ongoing theme of the Kraken taking back it's treasure from pirates who try to steal it. The story for the Gold Spiced Rum goes like this:

Although you mostly only see 1 pirate & Captain Bellamon, there was actually 2 more pirates in the video. One of them was stabbed with a harpoon & is hanging from one of the Kraken's tentacles. The other one fell off the ship's mast and is hanging from an anchor rode. I was aiming for absolute chaos as they fight the Kraken to steal it's treasure! Amidst all the chaos, I wanted to create harmony with the music working alongside the animation. Like matching the beat to explosions or objects like the cannon ball landing right on beat.

Music-Driven Storyboarding and Animation

The atmosphere was inspired by the music I mixed. The music was meant to be my own take on the soundtracks from Pirates of the Caribbean. Using choir samples to emphasize the biblical scale of the Kraken! I made a couple different versions of the song. They served as my storyboards for daydreaming about the scene while working on the animation. Some of these versions took very drastic turns. One version took the direction of going into the water and sinking along the shipwreck until you reach the bottom where all the gold and treasure is at.(That was the original location for the bottles)

Visual Design Reflecting Flavor and Brand

I wanted to promote the flavor of their rum in a way that works along side their current marketing. They describe their drink as:

To represent dark spices with the dark atmosphere and the flavor of "Toasted Oak" I added a lot of burning wood debris from the shipwreck. You can see it flying out from the initial explosion & burning in the background as I orbit the product. These flames also helped represent the cinnamon spices in the rum. All the gold and treasure is there for the name of course. Since the story states that the rum gets it's taste form the Kraken's gold treasure getting infused with the drink.

Key Takeaways

This project was more than just a test This is an artist statement! How branded content can be elevated through intentionally blending design, storytelling, and music all into one! Aligning visuals & sounds with Kraken Rum’s marketing! This advertisement not only promotes the product but also aims to immerses the viewer in its world.

If you’re looking for bold, artistic advertising that stands apart from boring promos, let’s connect! I’d love to collab and help you create your next creative masterpiece!