Raw Craft
In 2014, an incredible opportunity presented itself. For the first time ever, Anthony Bourdain agreed to partner with a brand. Even better, the brand was The Balvenie, a beloved whisky we had collaborated with for years.
Together with Senior Brand Manager Andy Weir and Momentum’s Creative Director Paul Slater, we helped create and execute what became the original digital series, Raw Craft.
PROCESS AND DISCOVERY
The concept: travel the country with Bourdain on a mission to discover and platform people who made incredible objects by hand, the old school way. We shaped the stories, wrote the scripts, found many of the craftspeople, and delivered the final series and promotional trailers and clips.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Like the alchemy formed by the ingredients of a great scotch, the combination of The Balvenie, Bourdain, and There We Go created some magic. Episodes like the one featuring Bob Kramer, a master knife maker, went viral, earning millions of organic views and The Balvenie saw nearly a 50% growth in sales compared to the previous year.
The YouTube channel received more subscribers than any spirits brand in the world (and still does) and the series won fans, media attention, awards, and nominations, including a Reggie and Webby.
The experience of making the films and the legacy of Bourdain still informs everything we do. In the words of one of the thousands of positive YouTube comments: “How every company should advertise. Give me some value instead of slapping me in the face with stupid ads. Great work!”
DIRECTOR
Rob Meyer
PRODUCER
Cara Marcous
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Danny Vecchione
EDITORIAL
Jennifer Cho Suhr
MUSIC
Tim O'Keefe & Andy Rourke
STARRING
Anthony Bourdain
