Kentucky Owl
Kentucky Owl campaign photography turns the pursuit of the perfect bourbon into a piece of applied chemistry, shot for the brand's launch campaign in collaboration with KesselsKramer.
Produced in a studio in Amsterdam, the series pairs each cocktail with distillation apparatus (a spiral condenser, a stopcocked funnel, rows of test tubes, glass cylinders) staged in hyper-controlled, near-sterile light, as if the bourbon itself were still mid-refinement.
About the project
Kentucky Owl approached KesselsKramer for the launch campaign of its bourbon, and the brief that reached Michiel Spijkers asked for something closer to a lab report than a lifestyle shoot: extremely hyper-stylized, almost sterile still shots, treating the making of bourbon as a controlled, near-scientific process rather than a warm, rustic craft story.
Shot in a studio in Amsterdam, each still pairs a finished cocktail with a piece of distillation equipment (a spiral condenser, a stopcocked funnel and separating flask, rows of test tubes, glass cylinders and decanters), so the drink always looks mid-process rather than finished and served. Michiel contributed a small piece of the concept work alongside KesselsKramer, with the photography itself staged in flat, clinical light that pushes the glassware and the bourbon's amber tones into sharp, graphic contrast.
Michiel’s role
Creative concept (contribution alongside KesselsKramer)
Photography
Output
Large variety of imagery and videos for the launch of the campaign.
Credits
Photography: Michiel Spijkers
Digital assistant: Angela Huizer
Lights: Hyung Balkema
Food styling: Grace Allaart, Liza de Vries
Set design: IOIA
Available for campaign photography, film direction, creative direction or visual advice. Send a short note about the project, timing and what the work needs to do.
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