Case Study: Three Hearts Rum

Dior-level results.
Under $10K.

Featuring Johnny Depp, who lent his talents to bring this vision to life. High-end cinematography and precision storytelling that transformed a boutique Caribbean rum into a digital titan.

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<$10K
Total Budget
1/20th
Cost vs Dior
2
Launch Videos
Dior-tier
Instagram Engagement
01. THE BRIEF

Authenticity in a crowded market.

Three Hearts is Johnny Depp's premium rum brand — not a celebrity endorsement deal, but a brand he actually created. The team needed launch content for Instagram that would establish Three Hearts as a serious player in the premium spirits space from day one.

The challenge: compete visually with Depp's Dior Sauvage campaigns — productions that run into the millions — but do it on a fraction of the budget.

Three Hearts Rum bottles

The launch videos.

Two films. One living room. Zero compromise on quality.

Three Hearts production
02. THE APPROACH

Guerrilla High-End.

Anamorphic Lenses

Vintage glass for cinematic texture

Rhythmic Editing

15-second cuts for mobile-first

Color Grading

Obsidian blacks with warm golden spirit tones

"The best creative doesn't come from the biggest budget. It comes from understanding the brand deeply enough that every dollar works ten times harder." — UnicornVids
1/20th

the cost of a Dior partnership

Same talent. Comparable numbers. A fraction of the spend.

03. THE RESULTS

Beyond the Lens.

Viral Velocity
2.1M+
views in 14 days
Market Disruption
4X
B2B growth
📈
Engagement
Dior-tier
Instagram rate
ROI
22:1
first quarter

Head-to-Head Breakdown

Metric Dior Sauvage Three Hearts (Us)
Budget $200K+ <$10K
Instagram Performance Benchmark Comparable
Timeline Weeks Days
Location Studio / On-location A living room
YOUR PLAYBOOK

What Three Hearts proves about modern production.

01

Constraints are a creative advantage

Budget limits force clarity. When you can't throw money at a problem, you innovate. We used 1/20th the spend because we refused generic solutions. Vintage lenses, guerrilla locations, and precise editing became our competitive advantage — not despite the budget, but because of it.

02

Premium is a feeling, not a price tag

Your audience doesn't see the budget. They see the frame. We achieved Dior-level cinematography through craft: anamorphic glass, meticulous color grading, and rhythmic editing. Premium production is about every single decision, not just the money spent.

03

Speed kills (in a good way)

What took Dior weeks, we did in days. Fast turnaround is a feature when you're moving digital-first. Instagram demands fresh content constantly. Our 48-72 hour production-to-post cycle kept Three Hearts trending while competitors were still in creative meetings.

04

The audience doesn't see your budget

They see results. Two million views in two weeks speaks louder than any budget figure. Your cost-per-view is irrelevant if the view count is massive. We proved that authentic craft and strategic storytelling trump production budget every single time.

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