RumChata Helps Book Clubbers Liven Up the Plot in Preacher Spot

A book club bogged down by boredom turns the page in a big way, hitting the hot tub for cocktails in Preacher’s amusing new spot for E. & J. Gallo’s RumChata cream liqueur.

Directing duo Terri Timely (aka, Corey Creasey and Ian Kibbey) pour it on strong, with jokes about plot twists, unreliable narrators, CliffsNotes and the symbolic use of the color yellow in literature:

Yellow represents hope. Of course! After a few RumChatas, it’s all so clear!

Dubbed “Have Your Unusual,” the :60 puts the product in a situation “that feels rote and would immediately read as such. But we also wanted to stay away from expected scenarios you see in so many other liquor and spirits ads,” Preacher associate creative director Ryan Durr tells Muse. “Showing hip and cool kids dancing and hanging out was not a place we wanted to explore.”

As for book clubs, “They’re essentially an excuse for friends to get together and quite popular among all age groups,” Durr explains. “So, apart from being a strategically sound setting, we loved juxtaposing a stuffy literary discussion with a party. Merging these two worlds by way of RumChata sparked countless comedic moments.”

He adds: “A few folks at Preacher started a virtual book club last year to stay connected during the pandemic. While it wasn’t the direct inspiration for our spot, it reminded the team that everyone desires a break from the everyday and sometimes all you need is to embrace the unusual.”

That bizarre karaoke bit (“Chapter 3 foreshadows the events happening in the book!”) was purely fictional and not inspired by book discussions among agency staffers. We think.

The team tapped Terri Timely based on the duo’s irreverent efforts for Geico and Skittles, among others. “Almost immediately, we began riffing on the jokes, which is always a good sign when bidding directors,” Durr recalls.

Sweet drinks like RumChata Diageo’s Baileys Irish Cream often flow at December soirees, so the work exudes a seasonal vibe. “The time of year was certainly considered, but we knew this first spot needed to live beyond the holidays and feel relevant any time of year,” Durr says.

“Book Clubbers” will run across linear TV, Hulu, Instagram, Spotify and elsewhere, supported by eye-catching OOH elements:

CREDITS 

“Book Clubbers”

Client:  E. & J. Gallo (RumChata)
VP & General Manager Spirits: Britt West
VP of Marketing for the Spirits Business Unit: Brandon Lieb
Sr. Brand Manager RumChata: Christopher Brimmage

Agency: Preacher
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Baird
Chief Executive Officer: Krystle Loyland
Chief Strategy Officer: Seth Gaffney
Associate Creative Directors: Aisha Hakim & Ryan Durr
Associate Creative Director (Design): Thomas Sullivan
Brand Director: Kristen Meade
Brand Manager: Mary Corbin Burlingame
Senior Art Director: Andrew Knight
Senior Copywriter: Andrew Singleton
Co-Head of Strategy: Jasmine Clark
Strategist: Zachary Stubblefield
Head of Production:  Stacey Higgins
Executive Producer: Rachel Kichler
Business Affairs: Carianne Humpal

Production Company: Park Pictures
Executive Producer: Justin Pollack
Director: Terri Timely
Line Producer: David Lambert
DP: Jeffrey Kim
Casting: Sonnenberg Casting

Edit House: Cartel
Executive Producer: Lauren Bleiweiss
Producer: Sarah Schachte
Editor: Kevin Zimmerman
Assistant Editor: Colleen McKay
Music: Rob Kieswetter
Mix: Dusty Albertz, TBD Post
Finishing House: Company 3
Senior Executive Producer: Ananda Reavis
Color Producer: Alexandra Lubrano
Senior Colorist: Sofie Friis Borup
Senior Finishing Producer: Paula Jimenez
Lead Finishing Artist: Ethan Chang