ABSOLUT + WICKED

CHEERS TO MAGIC

Photographer and commercial director Suzanne Clements was selected to lead this hybrid production for Absolut Vodka's Wicked 2024 collaboration campaign...

This hybrid stills and video production leveraged volume shooting, enabling us to incorporate digital assets provided by Universal Studios and craft a captivating world where cocktails magically make themselves. Simultaneously, we produced a UGC campaign, shot on an iPhone, to deliver an authentic, homemade vibe.

SKETCHES & STORY BOARDS

The agency provided clear and detailed notes on the desired props, which was invaluable. I aimed to elevate our pre-production process to ensure precise placement and flow across all sets, both in motion and stills. Partnering with a technical director, we transformed our plan into comprehensive sketches. With just a half-day for pre-light and 1.5 days to capture all video and stills content, solidifying key decisions from the outset was essential.

Over two intense days of production, our team meticulously curated all the necessary elements to bring this project to life. We sourced and prepared glassware, props, and art department assets, carefully adjusted each cocktail's colors, foam, and levels to match Absolut's exact specifications, and brought in a nail artist to create custom nail art for the UGC series. Utilizing the volume, we crafted diverse UGC sets, utilized immersive backgrounds for floating cocktails, and built the scene for a striking cinematic motion piece. The outcome was a visually stunning and cohesive set of assets, which we handed off to the agency for post-production.

The final deliverables included:

  • Four sets of still images for each floating cocktail, complete with individual alternatives to simplify compositing and rigging removal in post-production.

  • Four motion-control cinebot captures of enchanted, self-preparing cocktails, with tracking markers, metadata, and multiple passes that isolated elements and captured details on color and potential aberration for seamless video post-production.

  • One dedicated motion-control cinebot capture of a uniquely cinematic "Wicked" invitation moment with tracking markers for post-production special FX.

  • A UGC series shot on an iPhone with client-supplied talent, capturing an authentic social-media feel.

The client representative praised the campaign's quality from pre-production through shoot completion, noting that this rollout far exceeded expectations for a social media campaign.

Commercial beverage photography by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign hero still featuring the Elphaba Green Martini and Ozmopolitan floating in the air alongside garnishes, the Absolut bottle and a golden shaker at varying depths with t
Commercial beverage photography by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign hero still featuring the Elphaba Green Martini and Ozmopolitan floating in the air alongside garnishes, the Absolut bottle and a golden shaker at varying depths with t
Commercial beverage photography by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign hero still featuring the Espresso Martini floating in the air alongside garnishes, the Absolut and Kahlua bottles, shot on the LED volume at Vū Studio Orlando, practic
Commercial beverage photography by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign hero still of the Elphaba Green Martini floating in the air with garnishes against the Emerald City of Oz background, shot on the LED volume at Vū Studio Orlando, prac
Commercial beverage photography by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign hero still of the Ozmopolitan martini floating in the air with garnishes against the Emerald City of Oz background, shot on the LED volume at Vū Studio Orlando, practi
Commercial beverage photography by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign hero still featuring the Elphaba Green Martini and Ozmopolitan floating in the air alongside garnishes, the Absolut bottle and a golden shaker at varying depths with t

Commercial social video by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign UGC style Instagram story featuring Elphaba and Glinda getting ready for a night out, doing makeup, passing a martini, searching their wardrobes and cheersing cocktails, shot on iPhone for authentic social storytelling, commercially represented Orlando and Chicago photographer available in the Southeast, New York and Los Angeles.

MOTION

Commercial beverage video by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign espresso martini being made magically as Absolut vodka and Kahlúa float through the air in an impossible pour sequence, shot with cinebot bolt arm at Vū Studio Orlando, practically achieved in-camera, commercially represented Orlando and Chicago photographer available in the Southeast, New York and Los Angeles.

Commercial beverage video by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign An Invitation To scene featuring Elphaba walking and opening an invitation toward a table of magic books and tools, cinebot bolt arm sweeping from overhead to reveal the full cocktail spread, ending with all three Wicked cocktails together, shot on the LED volume at Vū Studio Orlando, commercially represented Orlando and Chicago photographer available in the Southeast, New York and Los Angeles.

Commercial beverage video by Suzanne Clements, Absolut Vodka Wicked campaign Ozmopolitan cocktail creation with ingredients floating and assembling magically in the air, shot with cinebot bolt arm at Vū Studio Orlando, practically achieved in-camera, commercially represented Orlando and Chicago photographer available in the Southeast, New York and Los Angeles.