How Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort Produced Its LeVar Burton Gin Ad Literally Overnight

The Aviation Gin spot is a case study in rapidly responsive marketing

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It began as a joke. Shockingly quickly, it came to fruition—and set a new bar for just how rapid a brand’s responsive marketing can be.

Within a day of news that beloved actor LeVar Burton would get his chance to guest host Jeopardy, Ryan Reynolds had published an Aviation Gin ad starring Burton as the brand’s guest spokesperson.

The spot, though straightforward and charming in its premise, required a whirlwind of production that was daunting even by the standards of Reynolds’ agency, Maximum Effort, which has become known for its hyper-timely ads for Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile and more.

That focus on “fastvertising,” and Reynolds direct involvement in producing it, has earned the agency a litany of honors, including Reynolds being named Adweek’s Brand Visionary for 2020.

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