At the beginning of August, Wild Turkey named Matthew McConaughey as the brand’s “creative director,” undoubtedly earning a series of eyerolls from actual advertising professionals, while awarding its creative business to JWT. Now JWT New York has launched its first work for the new client, in collaboration with the celebrity “creative director” and production company RSA Films.
The resulting spot, “The Journey Begins,” is pretty indistinguishable from your average ad for a liquor brand, minus the actor’s presence. McConaughey provides voiceover as well as appearing in the ad, opening with the line “We’re not in a rush to be most popular, not in a rush not to be” over the requisite pour shot. The Wild Turkey on the rocks is then brought through a scene of a room dancing to a brass band to McConaughey himself, who’s playing a piano.
It’s nothing revolutionary by any means, but at the same time it’s not terrible. There are some interesting choices in the way it’s shot, such as the camera mostly following the perspective of the person bringing McConaughey his drink. Without McConaughey’s involvement the ad would probably bot being generating as much attention, but then that’s why Wild Turkey hired the “creative director” in the first place.
Should you doubt McConaughey’s involvement in the creative process, take a gander at the below photo of the actor directing a shot.
From the man himself: “I want to be reincarnated as a jaguar. Jaguars are keen and they’re perfectly poised. I’d sure love to be that well designed.”
Yeah, he said that, bro.