Stories in the bottle A storytelling collaboration with French wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard across its portfolio of brands. By Justin Jin

The Briefs

Background: Pernod Ricard, France's global co-leader in fine wines and spirits, wants to tell authentic stories of their artisans across their portfolio of Champagne, Cognac and Whiskey brands.

Method: Justin learnt about each brand through discussions with respective marketing teams and in some case immersed in the houses in France to understand their essence and developed stories that express their unique qualities. He performed a range of productions from journalistic storytelling to advertising shoot.

Deliverables: Real-life and set-up photographic essays, book, exhibition and short videos.

Stories

A grower prunes vines that will supply the grapes for Martell Cognac, the region's oldest great house.
A distiller tests the spirit level of the distillation at Martell Cognac.
Martell's buyer tastes the spirits sample of its grower.
Winter workers performing maintanence at the vineyards at Champagne Mumm. The company, situated in Reims in northern France, is currently ranked 3rd globally based on number of bottles sold.
Winter pruning.
At the laboratory during harvest.
Séverine Frerson prepares to take over the role of cellar master from Hervé Deschamps at champagne Perrier-Jouët. Here, Deschamps shows her the intricate enamel and gold decorations on a bottle. Perrier-Jouët’s relationship with nature and art was emblemed during its 1902 collaboration with Art Nouveau pioneer Emile Gallé to create the anemone design for its Belle Epoque bottles.
Deschamps leads Frerson to the "Eden" cellar containing the world's oldest bottles. Founded in 1811 in Epernay, Maison Perrier-Jouët is one of France’s most historic champagne houses, with a cellar that holds the world's two bottles of the 1825 vintage.
Cellar master Hervé Deschamps presents his creation to mamasans at a dinner in Osaka.

Book

Advertising Campaigns

I directed video, text and photo documentary stories about six leaders in various fields, from a film director in Beijing and designer in Shanghai to celebrities in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. They reveal the struggle behind their success.

The work was exhibited at Martell's Grand Events, at the Beijing and Shanghai airports, and published as advertorials in major men's magazines.

A short video series exploring where creative entrepreneurs in Hong Kong go after work to find inspiration. Chivas, the world's largest selling whisky, wishes to re-position its brand towards a more successful and diverse crowd. I scripted and directed the films for social media use.