hospitality

Most creative briefs begin with objectives, target audiences, and key messaging. This one began with a DVD.

Instead of a traditional brief, our team was handed a Martini & Rossi commercial and challenged to translate its energy into a physical experience for a food and wine festival in Italy. The film followed a whirlwind journey of adventure and beautiful chaos, shot almost entirely in black and white with only deliberate pops of Martini’s signature red. As the pace settled, the story ended with the hero standing outside an airport beneath the line: “No matter your next adventure, Martini & Rossi is there for the ride.”

That cinematic language became the blueprint for the experience.

The pavilion was designed to evoke movement and anticipation, with oversized white sail forms floating overhead as if caught by the wind, creating a feeling of lightness and flight. Behind the tasting counter, a dramatic wall of stacked vintage suitcases reinforced the spirit of travel, while every guest interaction became part of the narrative. Brand ambassadors dressed as airline stewards welcomed visitors with custom “boarding passes” and passports that could be redeemed for complimentary Martini & Rossi tastings, transforming a simple sampling experience into the beginning of an adventure.

Rather than building a booth, we built the next scene in the commercial, immersing guests in the same emotion and momentum they had just watched on screen.

To this day, it’s one of the most rewarding projects I’ve had the opportunity to design because it proved that the strongest experiential work doesn’t simply represent a brand—it continues its story.