Take us to your leader. Then, we’ll check out some tourist attractions.

Adland’s space race keeps heating up. First, MoonPies tried to lure extraterrestrials with sweet, sweet snacks. Now, those pranksters at VisitLEX have beamed a tourism message 40 light years away to Trappist-1 system via infrared laser.

If green-hued E.T.s exist, perhaps they’d like to spend some greenbacks sampling the sights, sounds and flavors of Lexington, Ky. The eggheads in this cosmic case-study video break it down:

“We believe Lexington is the best place on Earth,” says VisitLEX president Mary Quinn Ramer. “It’s the ideal location for extraterrestrial travelers to begin exploring our world.”

She describes the region’s spacious bluegrass topography as “perfect for landing a spacecraft.” Plus, Conde Nast recently named Lexington one of America’s friendliest cities, so there’s little chance of sparking an interplanetary incident.

Astrobiology ace Dr. Robert Lodder, who helped agency Cornett develop the initiative, notes, “We brought together experts in engineering, linguistics, digital media, philosophy and science fiction to design, debate and transmit this message.” (Though oddly, not the Geico Gecko, who’s all about bonding with offworlders these days.)

The message itself includes photos, music and a coded bitmap—all transmitted, we’re assured, “with FAA approval.” (Wouldn’t want any ECDs going to jail.)

“The bitmap image is the key to it all,” says linguistics expert Dr. Andrew Byrd. “We included imagery representing the elements of life, our iconic Lexington rolling hills, and the molecular structure for water, bourbon and even dopamine—because Lexington is fun!”

Trappist-1 is 250 TRILLION miles away, so it’ll take 80 years at least for any response to arrive.

But that’s cool. Kentucky bourbon just gets better with age.

Commercials are full of exasperating cousins these days. But your auntie, uncle and granny seem … nice?

Though Q can’t “fix” the festivities per se, imbibing might make sharing holiday meals with those goofballs more palatable. (Fill ours to the brim!)

Titled “Q It Up,” the work “showcases our ethos—we take good drinks and moments that matter seriously, but never ourselves,” says brand marketing director Jocelyn Hurley. “Also, it helps crystallize the benefit of Q Mixers in a relatable way. The campaign is endlessly riffable.”

And much merriment ensued on set, Cornett ECD Whit Hiler tells Muse. “A lot of our talent stayed in character well before and in-between shooting,” he says. “The step-grandma and grandpa dynamic was hilarious. Our Grandpa character was definitely enjoying every second of it, and it might have been one of the best days of his life.”

OOH will appear in San Francisco, Chicago and Denver:

CREDITS

Client Team: 
Chief Marketing Officer, Nicholas Wootten
Brand Marketing Director, Jocelyn Hurley
Brand Manager, Erin Kelley
Head of Creative, Greg Cypser

Agency: 
Executive Creative Director: Whit Hiler
Group Creative Director: Jason Majewski
Creative Director: Jonathon Spalding
Associate Creative Director: Randy Steward
Associate Art Director: Sarah Vaughan
Associate Art Director: Nicole Berry
Senior Graphic Designer: Laura Merchant
Graphic Designer: Jalyn Clark
Sr. Copywriter: Coleman Larkin
Sr. Copywriter: Alexis Wilkinson
SVP, Director of Brand Strategy: Dave Walker, 
Director of Brand Management: Lacy Madden

Director: Jeff Venable
Photographer: Monica Stephens
Production: Gear Seven

“Celebrity tequilas be damned!”

So says a campaign from Cornett promoting Sanctus Aquam, a tequila created by Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija, an Episcopal priest. Proceeds from sales help provide shelter for refugee families just south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Befitting that higher calling—and its name, Latin for “Holy Water”—the beverage is blessed by the reverend himself.

“The money provides for many needs—food, electricity, water and even Zoom classes so that the kids don’t keep falling behind in their education, and to help their parents learn English,” says Rev. Lebrija. 

Sanctus Aquam is produced in Jalisco, Mexico, and costs $84-89, with a goal of raising $100,000 a year for Border Compassion. Roughly 300 cases (1,800 bottles) will be manufactured annually, providing 12 months of shelter and services for 150 families. 

Cornett launched a pro bono social push that plays off the tequila’s spiritual roots.

One ad casts lime, a shot of tequila and salt as “The Holy Trinity.” Another shows a text bubble above da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” and asks “How do you say ‘another round’ in Latin?”

Click images to enlarge:

Rev. Lebrija’s inspiration for Sanctus Aquam came from a Mexican legend about a priest who saved an orphanage after he inherited a tequila factory by dodging prohibition laws.

“It took about 16 months from idea to having the first bottle in my hand,” Rev. Lebrija tells Muse. “This included the approval from the Mexican government to actually create a tequila, the production, and the gazillion details that go into running a tequila brand.”

A&W Restaurants got Ryan Reynolds to headline its annual Root Beer Float Day promotion. But you might not recognize him.

That’s because it’s a different Ryan Reynolds, one who hails from Indiana and describes himself on Twitter as “Interim editor, Evansville Courier & Press. Mediocre baseball coach. Not the actor you’re probably looking for.”

Still, this Ryan, billed as “advertising’s fresh-faced golden boy,” gives good commercial. He’s self-deprecating to the max, relatable, and zings his famous multihyphenate namesake with quips like, “Save some headlines for the rest of us, Deadpool.”

“I’ll say anything you want for a fraction of the price of the old Ryan Reynolds,” the new version promises. “For example, I’ll say that National Root Beer Float Day is almost here. And this year, A&W is taking the money they saved by hiring me instead of the other guy and giving everyone that signs up for their Mug Club a free root beer float.”

He assures us there’s no purchase necessary through Aug. 6, just a suggested donation to Disabled American Veterans.

“See, it’s cheap, easy, effective marketing,” the other Ryan concludes, enjoying a big ol’ sip from a frosty mug.

Agency Cornett in Lexington, Kentucky, known for its frequently farcical work on half of VisitLEX, Tempur + Sealy, UK HealthCare and more, crafted the campaign, which recalls that time Taco Bell assembled dozens of real-life Ronald McDonalds to hype its breakfast menu.

“This is our signature promotion,” says Liz Bazner, senior director of marketing at A&W. “We think having Ryan Reynolds attached to it this year is going to make it our biggest and best yet. To be honest we were kind of shocked when he agreed to do it. It really is true that you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

“I don’t want to sound like an out-of-touch Hollywood egomaniac,” adds the man himself, “but my name commands a lot of attention.”

Savor the encore below, one of several campaign shorts, with Hoosier State Ryan proclaiming, “You may remember me from National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, Blade: Trinity, and other films I’ve illegally downloaded.”

@awrestaurants We love @vancityreynolds ♬ original sound – A&W Restaurants

Whit Hiler is executive creative director at Cornett. He’s worked at the Lexington, Kentucky, agency for a decade, mostly as a creative director. He was promoted to ECD in 2019.

Hiler’s objective is to take Cornett to the next level. As a leader, he is a champion of chasing ideas, and he pushes his team to try things that haven’t been done before for the agency’s clients, which include A&W, VisitLEX, Tempur + Sealy, UK HealthCare and Keeneland. 

Adweek named him one of the 100 most creative people in the industry. Digiday pondered whether Hiler is “The Most Talented Creative in America.” And Business Insider named him one of the “24 Most Creative People in Advertising.”

We spent two minutes with Whit to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations, and recent work he’s admired.

Whit, tell us…

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in beautiful Lexington, Kentucky, and live here now with my wife—who also happens to be my boss here at Cornett—and our four rowdy kids.

How you first realized you were creative.

I guess it would have been back in high school. I wasn’t the greatest student, probably one of the worst in my class, but I did really well in creative writing class. I hated school, but I enjoyed the hell out of that class. Unfortunately, I got a late start with a creative career and wasn’t able to put that creative writing to a good use until my early 30s. 

A person you idolized creatively early on.

I don’t think there has been one individual I’ve idolized but many. I got a late start working in advertising, so early on I spent a lot of time in the ad pubs trying to learn as much as possible. I still do. Like a lot of creatives, I was really drawn to the work that gets a bunch of press and gets people talking. You know, the work that’s really interesting and, because of that, earns a bunch of media. I was hellbent on figuring out how to make this kind of work. In the process, I found myself idolizing a lot of the work over the years. With that said, I know there are a lot of talented people behind all of this work I’ve been idolizing, which is why I say not one but many. Basically, if you’re making kickass work, you’re my idol. 

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

I’ve got an addictive personality. I like to over-consume everything. Somewhere between 8th and 9th grade, I had my first sip of alcohol. That definitely changed my life. It turned me into the ultimate party animal. Kind of like Kentucky’s Cocaine Bear. At first, it was fun—reckless, but fun—and then, all of a sudden, it wasn’t fun. It was a scary, depressing never-ending loop of highs and lows that could have easily ended in death or jail. But thankfully, in my mid 20s, I got sober, another moment that changed my life—but this time in a really great way. If you’re struggling with substance abuse, I’d highly recommend getting sober. It’s tough, it takes time and often takes a few times for it to stick, but once it does stick, life can get really beautiful.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

I’ve really enjoyed what Brooklyn based art collective MSCHF has been doing for the past couple of years with all their entertaining, provocative and buzz-worthy drops. And they seem to just do whatever the fuck they want, and that makes me really jealous, which is kind of similar to admiring. 

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

Over Thanksgiving, my family and I watched King Richard. We actually watched it a couple of times. Everyone loved it.

Your favorite fictional character.

Currently I’d say it’s Tron Diageo or the Duolingo Owl. I really love this.

Someone or something worth following on social media.

Everyone and everything I follow on social media is starting to become a big blur. I’m so over it, but can’t seem to quit it. It’s worse than cigarettes. My screen time is at an all-time high post-pandemic, which is really screwing with my productivity. I need to recommend to myself to unfollow everyone and take a nice, long break from social media. 

How Covid-19 changed your life, personally or professionally.

Anyone that knows me, knows how loud I am. I’m always walking around Cornett hooting and hollering, making weird noises and singing goofy songs. I just love getting loud and I’m really great at it. When we began working from home, I lost my audience. All of a sudden, there was no one around to hear my mouth noises. Thankfully I found a new audience on the fields of youth soccer. And unlike my co-workers, this new audience really appreciates how loud I can be. All jokes aside, in some ways, youth soccer kind of became a beacon of support for me during the pandemic. I got super into it with several of my kids, and I’m still super into it. I’ve even started following professional soccer. It’s actually the first team sport I’ve ever really followed.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.

Back in 2011, a couple of buddies and I attempted to crowdfund a Super Bowl commercial for the great commonwealth of Kentucky. We all worked at different ad agencies and this was nothing more than a fun little side project. At the end of our 60-day Kickstarter campaign, we were about $3.4 million short of the $3.5 million needed to make a spot. We had failed. While we didn’t raise the money, we did get a shitload of press, and we got a lot of folks talking about how great Kentucky is. From there, we just kept the party going. That side project is now a legit business called Ky for Ky, and we’ve done a ton of wild things since. We took it upon ourselves to rebrand Kentucky (without Kentucky’s permission), we were the first to make fried chicken scented candles, we’ve sold gold-plated Kentucky fried chicken bone necklaces, we’ve sold Derby Turds, we’ve sold T-shirts tie-dyed in KFC gravy, we’ve popularized the infamous Cocaine Bear that’s coming to the big screen in 2022, we made this funny ad, and this one, and to top it all off, we had Bill Murray wearing our “George Clooney is a beautiful man” T-shirt while sitting on a boat with George Clooney in Italy. Why? That one side project has led to a ton of really fun work and a really great business. 

A recent project you’re proud of.

I’m really proud of Cornett’s Queen’s Gambit-inspired hotel room at the 21c Museum Hotel for VisitLEX that we launched this past January. 2020 was a brutal year for tourism, and this campaign gave Lexington and one of its downtown hotels a much-needed boost. A nearly 700 million media-impression boost. It was a really fun project that came to life in record time by a big collaborative dream team of talent. It also helped Cornett win our first AdAge Small Agency of the Year award, which had been a big goal of ours for a long time.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.

Wieden+Kennedy’s work for Old Spice. And then, their work for KFC. 

Someone else’s work you admired lately.

I love a good tourism campaign, and really enjoyed Iceland’s recent Meta spoof. Crushed it.

Your main strength as a creative person.

Ideas. 

Your biggest weakness.

Super-duper unorganized. 

One thing that always makes you happy.

My family.

One thing that always makes you sad.

Boring work. 

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

Probably selling cars. 

“The only thing more precious than a child’s wish is a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data with limited usage rights stored in an online ledger.”

With those words, NFTs go mane-stream in Cornett’s latest promo for Lexington, Ky., tourism, which offers retro-ugly “non-fungible thoroughbreds” as stocking suffers.

The kids below nag Santa—and their parents—for ponies, but they pull long faces after unwrapping pixelated JPGs that kind of resemble horses, especially if you squint:

Eight bits of holiday cheer/disappointment! Here’s a closer look:

Those nasty NFTs are available now, for real, with proceeds benefitting Old Friends Farm, a retirement home for racehorses.

“NFTs are definitely hot right now,” says Gathan Borden, VP of marketing at VisitLEX, the city’s tourism bureau. “But they’re no substitute for the real deal. You might not be able to get your kids an actual pony, but that doesn’t mean you have to disappoint them. You can give them an experience they’ll never forget with a convenient, affordable trip to Lexington to see the finest thoroughbreds in the world.”

Previous horseplay from Cornett and the client included ASMR send-ups, commercials filmed by horses with GoPros on their heads, and a palomino disguised as Mr. Rogers (but fooling no one).

Early Covid limitations had many distillery employees working from home. Social distancing guidelines challenged the plan for a typical video production. That meant only Wheatley and Cornett’s Tim Jones were present. Jones, Cornett’s executive creative director, shot the livestream on his smartphone. That feed was routed to Cornett’s digital team, which used livestreaming software to route the feed to Facebook and YouTube simultaneously. 

The stream was sent to the Buffalo Trace Distillery and Buffalo Trace Bourbon brand channels on Facebook and YouTube. Over 30,000 people watched the episode.

“It’s great to connect with so many people when I’m unable to travel to them,” Wheatley said.

Such impressive success set the wheels in motion for us to shift into producing a weekly web program. Jones added lightweight production equipment to the on-site setup, employing microphones and portable lighting when needed, but still funneled the stream’s origin from a smartphone. 

Cornett’s digital team took the feed and routed it weekly to an ever-changing array of Facebook pages, YouTube accounts and Twitter feeds. The distillery accounts were the priority, but as weekly content shifted focus from one brand to another, certain brand pages were turned on while less relevant ones waited their turn.

The variety of content also challenged Jones and team to give a walking tour one week, a stationary product-tasting program the next, then a Q&A interview at a specific location on the grounds the next. Some locations on the distillery campus posed challenges with WiFi access, audio and lighting, keeping Cornett’s team on a constant path of problem-solving to keep “Whiskey Wednesday” flowing. 

Bringing the experience to the fans flipped the tourism paradigm on its head. Cornett helped Buffalo Trace Distillery provide a virtual, real-time experience to its always-thirsty-for-more audience. Longtime loyalists were excited to get an up-close and personal tour from the master distiller himself. Newer audiences were captivated by the education and behind-the-scenes exposure to the magic of bourbon making.

Serve them more.

Initially concepted as a short-term test, “Whiskey Wednesday” became a full campaign and content marketing bonanza. The brand and distillery teams, including Cornett’s lead creatives and digital strategists, plotted a calendar of topics through the end of 2020 with weekly tours of the various warehouses, public spaces and even exclusive tour locations throughout the property. Different brands and distillery spokespeople were highlighted to the online audience.

From watching the mash ferment to the aged bourbon being bottled, Buffalo Trace Distillery’s online visitors saw more of the destination week after week than they ever could during a single visit.

New bourbon expressions were added to the calendar for tastings. Experimental projects were elevated to the audience and explained in unprecedented access. 

And the crowds kept coming.

Open the door.

From its impressive debut on Facebook and YouTube, “Whiskey Wednesday” quickly gained virality. Fans talked about the live show, RSVP-ed their attendance on promotional posts leading up to each week. Hundreds of people even logged into the livestream tests an hour before each broadcast and asked questions to be answered by Wheatley or the episode hosts.

The second episode earned 43,662 viewers. Episode 6 crossed the 50,000 plateau. And then word really got out. Episode 7 hit 97,000 views. The next eclipsed 131,000, then the following saw 201,343 fans watch. By the end of 2020, “Whiskey Wednesday” brought 4,877,861 fans on a virtual visit to the destination. 

For the 12-month period from May 2020 through April 2021, the total show was viewed by 7.4 million people. The calendar year 2019 saw 293,996 patrons visit the distillery. Now, almost that many get a visit from the distillery every week.

By turning the tourism paradigm around, taking the experience to the customer, rather than waiting for them to be able to return, Buffalo Trace Distillery has remained the dominant tourism destination in the bourbon world. The visitors who either cannot or aren’t yet comfortable to come back in person are visiting online every week with a live, virtual experience.

The distillery was able to open to socially distanced and CDC-guideline compliant visitors and tours in July 2020. The show continues with weekly episodes to this day.

Give us one-line bios of yourselves.

My name is Whit Hiler and I’m an executive creative director and resident trouble maker at Cornett. 

My name is Christy Hiler and I’m the president of Cornett (and of our household). 

Where are you living right now, and who’s with you?

We are healthy at home in beautiful Lexington, Kentucky, right now with our four rowdy kids and our kind of annoying, old-ass dog (he barks a lot). 

What’s your work situation like at the moment, and how is it evolving?

Whit: I’m actually really digging working from home. I’m an extrovert so I’m definitely missing my co-workers, but the 700 Zoom meetings we’re having a day have been filling that hole in my heart. The kids have been a little challenging, but I’m thankful for this time with them and thankful to be really busy right now both with Cornett and Kentucky for Kentucky. My work days have been longer—like 9 a.m. to 12 a.m.—but with a bunch of breaks throughout the day. I think that style of working really suits me because my mind and my productivity are typically all over the place. I also really like wearing sweatpants 24/7. That’s been a great perk.

Christy: Wild, and wonderful. With no separation or end to the work, parenting, thinking, processing, emails, picking up … I kind of feel like the past nine weeks have been one very long day. But there are so many beautiful moments mixed in with the messy ones, I find myself grateful for the change. 

Describe your socializing strategy.

We have a small circle of friends and family members that we have been around from the beginning of quarantine. The circle hasn’t gotten any bigger, or smaller. The kids have some other kiddos they get to hang with, and we’ve got some adults we get to hang with. That’s been really nice.

How are you dealing with childcare?

Thankfully, we’ve had a little help with the kids. They’ve been going to their grandmother’s every Friday, and we’ve got someone who comes to the house and helps with the home-schooling a few days during the week. It’s really nice to have those days to really just focus on work. On the days when it’s just us and the kids, we just try to balance it all out. Christy gets them going on their school work, and I’m in charge of the physical education—skateboarding, bike riding, soccer, etc. Some days they get a bunch of school work done, some days they watch eight consecutive hours of Harry Potter movies.

What are you reading?

Whit: Lots of news, ad pubs, tweets, Slack conversations, memes and texts from buddies.

Christy: I’ve taken my doctor’s advice and limited myself to two doses of Covid news updates a day. I’m focusing my attention on the industries we serve. Each is so different. And while so much is unknown and unpredictable, there are a lot of great conversations being had and information being shared to help us all make thoughtful decisions.

What are you watching?

Whit: I’ve been watching Homeland, just started Billions, the new season of The Last Kingdom and a bunch of skateboarding videos with the boys. I also recently watched the new Beastie Boys Story. That was great.

Christy: Everyone and everything around me. I’m watching my kids learning so many things, and getting creative. Our team communicating better than ever and delivering incredibly thoughtful and meaningful work. The trees and flowers growing and blooming. The birds that come take a rest on the windowsill outside my makeshift stand-up desk that looks out into the yard. The dishes and laundry piling up behind me.

What are you listening to?

Whit: I’ve been listening to new Strokes album a good bit, and a few different ad podcasts. 

Christy: All the Zooms happening at the same time in my house. And a lot of great podcasts. 

How are you staying fit?

Whit: I try to walk a few miles each day and then do a few of these seven-minute workouts or some yoga. 

Christy: A good friend of mind launched an on-demand fitness site during this. My oldest daughter and I have been doing her classes together after the other kids have gone to bed.

Have you taken up a hobby?

Whit: Since the quarantine began, we’ve added a grind box, a launch ramp and a 3-by-8 mini ramp to the collection of toys at the Hiler house. With that said, I’ve kind of been dabbling as a personal trainer and videographer for the kids. 

Christy: I’m making all sorts of things. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, homeschool lesson plans, strategic brand plans, remote work policies, art, masks for my family members, and lots of coffee to keep us going.

Any tips for getting necessities?

Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay six feet back.

An awkward moment since all this started. 

There’s definitely been some interesting moments in all of this. The other day we were both on client calls and all of the sudden the kids just started going crazy upstairs—laughing, gagging, yelling, etc. Our littlest guy (3) had taken a massive poop in his pull-up after nap and got it everywhere trying to take it off himself. A full-on poo-nado. Then our oldest daughter (12) who was helping to clean things up comes running down the stairs to take the dirty pull-up out to the trash and steps right on to a skateboard and busts her ass (like six feet from where I’m sitting). Poops goes all over her. They’re hooting and hollering upstairs; she’s crying downstairs, and there we are sitting on client calls. Fun stuff.

Best work email you got since all this started. 

Whit: The email asking me to participate in the #WFH Diaries was by far my favorite. I kind of invited myself to this party, but that’s beside the point. There’s been some other really great ones—we’ve recently won a few awards and have been asked to participate in a few different pitches. 

Christy: The email saying our PPP loan was approved.

An aha! moment since all of this started. 

Whit: There’s a lot of opportunity out there. Opportunities to help others, to spread awareness, to do things that haven’t been done, to get scrappy, get weird and to really flex the creativity. I love getting scrappy and weird. We’re just digging in and making as much stuff as we can—for our clients, for Cornett, our community, etc. 

Christy: We are resilient. We can do unimaginable things, together and apart.  

What’s your theory on how this is going to play out? 

Whit: I have no clue. It’s really hard to say what the future holds for these “UNCERTAIN TIMES.” I do know that sweatpants are my new normal, and when we go back to working in an office, I’ll be wearing sweatpants to work every day—even to client meetings.

Christy: There is so much healing and rebuilding needed. It won’t look the same, but my sincere hope is that it, and we, will be better because of it all. 

See our full #WFH Diaries series here.