How Red Havas Created a Steampunk Wonderland in Old Sydney Town

Earlier this year, Australian gin customers were treated to something wonderful and strange.

Sydney’s iconic Hotel Palisade was taken over by the theatrical troupe Broad Encounters, who brought to life an immersive, six-part world of Victorian whimsy and steampunk delights. 

The purpose of this magical display? To celebrate Hendrick’s Gin and all its trademark oddness.

This task was easier said than done. The extraordinary display had been first planned by Red Havas in 2019, only for Covid to delay it year after year - but the creative team endured, waiting for the right moment to share their strange adventure with the world. 

And what they shared was remarkable. Six rooms - each with its own story and aesthetic, populated by new characters and delights. The whole experience was like a fairytale, Lewis Carrol version of gin-making, true to the spirit of Hendrick’s in every way.

To discover how a campaign like this is designed in circumstances like these, I spoke to Alex Bryant, managing partner consumer & brand, Red Havas about the magical world she’d helped make.

LBB> What was the initial client brief from Hendrick’s Gin? What did they, as a brand, hope to accomplish through such an unusual immersive experience?

Alex> Red Havas received the initial brief pre-pandemic in 2019. At the time there was a rise in boutique Australian gins popping up and taking market share. 

The client wanted to re-engage, re-recruit and excite super premium gin consumers with a unique experience that only Hendrick's Gin had a right to do as an innovative brand that is all about rewarding curiosity.

The brief was to create a ‘must-see experience’ event to cut-through the large and cluttered Australian Gin market, and so A Journey Most Unusual was born.

LBB> Why was whimsical Victorian-esque surrealism chosen as the guiding aesthetic?

Alex> The Hendrick’s Gin brand world is built on three pillars – absurdism, surrealism, and Victoriana. 

The distinctive brand assets such as the bottles look like they’ve been plucked from a Victorian apothecary.  From penny farthings to cucumber concierges, the cabinet of curiosities and bespoke botanicals, the way the brand shows up is in curious and peculiar ways. 

The theatrical experience brought these guiding principles to life in a way that stayed true to the origins of the brand world, since its inception in 1999. 

LBB> What are the benefits of doing such a campaign as an immersive theatrical experience rather than more traditional forms of advertising? And why at the Hotel Palisade?

Alex> Our objective was to bring to life a production that swept audiences into a beguiling and compelling world of curiosities where they were encouraged to see, hear, touch, smell and of course taste the brand.

We searched far and wide for a space that both reflected the brand world and gave us the opportunity to transport guests across multiple rooms and spaces as they journeyed through the experience - the flow of the space was just as important as well as the aesthetic.

Creating a theatrical world that melded fantasy and reality allowed consumers to discover the brand in a truly unusual and tantalising way. It kept the brand, and the journey, front of mind long after they left the venue

LBB> Tell us about Broad Encounters. What was it like working with them? 

Alex> Broad Encounters was crucial to the success of the experience. We knew we needed to work with a partner with expertise in immersive theatre so we brought them on the journey from the very start, working with them on the creative vision of the experience. 

They managed the production side of the experience, bringing in and working creatively with artists, script writers, costume designers – all brave and curious minds that came together to produce a disruptive live performance for media, influencers, and Australian consumers. 

We acted as the brand custodians, ensuring the experience was aligned to the Hendrick’s Gin brand world, and focused on bringing the story to the audiences through media channels.

LBB> How is this kind of immersive experience put together? How do you coordinate the set dressing, lighting, and performance with the other demands of the space? We’d love to know about the directors, if you have anything special to share.

Alex> A Journey Most Unusual was a truly collaborative partnership from the tendrils of the idea through to the best-in-class execution. Every element was considered to reflect the Hendricks Brand world without overwhelming the consumer. We needed it to feel natural but unique only to Hendricks.

LBB> Tell us about the six unique spaces - how were they conceived, designed, and executed?

Alex> The performance transported curious adventurers through a thrilling journey of the senses, unlocking their sixth sense with each room they entered. ​Guests were guided by commanding figures who carried storylines from the origins and creation of Hendrick’s Gin, leading them to participate in a series of unusual and captivating activities.

Mr Foggerty welcomed the guests in the Antechamber, inviting them to embrace a sense of adventure by first imbibing a curious libation. Guests traversed through an old closet into the whimsical fantasy world that the tonic unlocked. 

The audience met the scent seller, Madame Ruby, and her assistant The Charmer in the perfumed boudoir. Guests sampled scented oil blends, each one evoking a different feeling or desire, depending on the character of the guest. 

The beautiful Siren breathed in the travellers’ scents and improvised a song for each guest as they journeyed into her grotto. She delighted in pleasure and playfulness as she handed them a unique key for the next room. ​

The travellers entered a green, dense jungle world where a Sprite emerged from the darkness and directed the audience to a hidden door unlocked by their key. Guests encountered various textures in hidden cabinets before procuring a puzzle piece.​

A Victorian science lab crossed with a museum filled with dried roses and display cabinets of cucumbers and Hendrick’s Gin bottles. In this room, guests were encouraged to put together the puzzle pieces as they watched the scientist – inspired by Hendrick’s Gin master distiller Leslie Gracie – experiment with blending potions as they finished the puzzle.  

The final piece led travellers to the last room where they again encountered Mr Foggerty. Following a gin tea ceremony, a moon bathing experience ensued which led to the creation of a song and dance, as other characters entered the room for a final hurrah. 

LBB> Obviously, A Journey Most Unusual faced its own unusual journey in that it was intended to open in 2020. Tell us about the effect of that delay. Did the extra time inspire any changes to the concept?

‘A Journey Most Unusual’ became the production that was almost not made. After three postponements, we really had to consider if the production was right for the time.

One of the core elements was the immersive nature of the experience, so we made the tough decision to postpone rather than change the experience. This was the right decision as the feedback from those who attended was the experience was one for all the senses – so we are pleased we kept the touch and feel elements in there.

LBB> In terms of the final campaign launch, how did you leverage other, non-experiential channels (digital, social, earned media etc) to help get the word out? Was the experiential campaign the leader, or were the alternate channels equally important in communicating the brand message?

Alex> The experience was at the core of the activation, but we have a philosophy that ‘it’s about who knows, not who goes’ when it comes to events and activations, so bringing this production to those who couldn’t experience it live was important. The story behind the campaign – from the actors, to the costumes and why this was the right fit for Henricks was told through earned, digital and social channels, supported by media and influencer social content.

LBB> What was attendance like? Can you share any numbers - perhaps demographic breakdowns?

Alex> We had 13 sessions across 4 days with each session selling out within minutes across three separate ticket sale drops. 

LBB> Was there anything in particular attendees seemed to respond to most?

Alex> The most interesting response that was common amongst consumer, media and influencers alike was that they needed a moment to take it all in. 

The attention to detail, the level of immersion and the quality of the performance of the actors and each space really helped those who attended to feel they had been transported into another world.

The characters such as Mr Foggerty and the Siren also created a lot of conversation due to their absurd and committed performances.

LBB> What are your key takeaways from doing an experiential campaign? 

Alex> Finding the right partners who share your vision and are collaborative and open to feedback.

LBB> What advice would you give to anyone else considering an experiential campaign? What brand attributes make it the right fit?

Alex> Creating an experience that is unique and ‘ownable’ for your brand is key. If another brand could do it, it’s probably not going to be memorable.

Having such a distinctive brand as Hendricks and clients who believe in your vision is also key.