Hotel Tango Distillery: Operation Teapot
Expanding the offerings of a veteran-owned distillery with playful military mischief.
Expanding the offerings of a veteran-owned distillery with playful military mischief.
Design
Illustration
Photography
Copywriting
Illustration
Photography
Copywriting
Hotel Tango is the first combat-disabled, veteran-owned distillery in the United States. Their spirits are crafted with precision and made to share. For this conceptual brand campaign, I developed Operation Teapot — a new product line and immersive campaign that builds on the brand’s existing military-inspired voice while pushing it into fresh, engaging territory.
CHALLENGE
Hotel Tango’s current identity features a strong, straightforward military precision paired with playful, detached lingo. The task was to expand their product offerings in a way that felt authentic to the brand, appealed to their audience of veterans and enthusiasts, and introduced new experiences without straying from their established tone. The campaign needed to feel like a natural evolution while creating excitement and collectibility.
Hotel Tango’s current identity features a strong, straightforward military precision paired with playful, detached lingo. The task was to expand their product offerings in a way that felt authentic to the brand, appealed to their audience of veterans and enthusiasts, and introduced new experiences without straying from their established tone. The campaign needed to feel like a natural evolution while creating excitement and collectibility.
INSIGHT
The brand’s modern military visuals lend themselves perfectly to Cold War-era ephemera — think fallout, ration kits, and satirical humor. By leaning into this aesthetic for the campaign, we could flex the visual language in a fun, self-aware, humorous way that feels natural for the core identity, allowing fans to engage with the brand in a new way.
The brand’s modern military visuals lend themselves perfectly to Cold War-era ephemera — think fallout, ration kits, and satirical humor. By leaning into this aesthetic for the campaign, we could flex the visual language in a fun, self-aware, humorous way that feels natural for the core identity, allowing fans to engage with the brand in a new way.
APPROACH
Operation Teapot co-exists seamlessly with the core brand. With the campaign's visual language, I developed a range of new products and supporting materials, including:
Operation Teapot co-exists seamlessly with the core brand. With the campaign's visual language, I developed a range of new products and supporting materials, including:
Emergency Chocolate — Standard-issue, pocket-sized rations designed as an excellent pairing for their spirits. Packaged with visual instructions to “boost morale and general merriment.”
A collectible patch program where participants earn patches through purchase of each bottle offering, eventually presenting them at a tasting room to redeem a premium bottle.
Supporting elements such as custom illustrations, photography, packaging, and copywriting that maintain the brand’s military edge while adding layers of playful narrative and collectibility.
The result is a cohesive campaign that feels like a natural extension of Hotel Tango’s identity.
A collectible patch program where participants earn patches through purchase of each bottle offering, eventually presenting them at a tasting room to redeem a premium bottle.
Supporting elements such as custom illustrations, photography, packaging, and copywriting that maintain the brand’s military edge while adding layers of playful narrative and collectibility.
The result is a cohesive campaign that feels like a natural extension of Hotel Tango’s identity.
