Smith & Hook is a bold, ranch-rooted Cabernet Sauvignon from California's Central Coast. A brand with real grit behind it. When the packaging got a refresh, the creative needed to match that same raw energy.

I led a team of creatives to bring it to life. After multiple location scouts, we landed on a spot that felt right — remote, rugged, and completely in character. We were on set by 5am, rattlesnake season in full effect, every prop and product meticulously organized in advance. In the middle of nowhere, forgetting something wasn't an option. We had a hero shot planned going in for the shipper redesign. But the shot that truly defined the day came to me on set. I pitched the idea to the team on the fly: a horse galloping full speed toward the camera, stopping hard to kick up a spray of dirt and gravel behind the bottle. It took a little convincing, a small window of takes, and the knowledge that too many scratches would make the bottle unusable. We nailed it. I can still hear the satisfying clink of rock on glass when we got the shot. That moment became the real hero, anchoring the updated POS and the Houston Rodeo sponsorship.