Brugal celebrates its Dominican heritage

New York agency Hudson Rouge unveils this new global campaign for Brugal Rum, brought to life by Imagine This director/photographer Ollie Ali.

Filmed over two days in the Dominican Republic, the work captures the warmth, vibrancy, and craftsmanship of the island - a heartfelt celebration of Brugal’s Dominican roots told through a cinematic lens.

“This campaign was about celebrating Brugal’s heritage while presenting it to the world in a new light - cinematic, modern, and true to its spirit. Every detail was crafted to feel warm and authentic, from the set textures to the way we captured natural light. The team’s trust and creative energy made this one of the most fulfilling projects I’ve worked on….. A trip to the Dominican Republic wasn't too bad either,” says Ali, Director & Photographer. 

The collaboration began in April when Hudson Rouge approached Made By Humans, Imagine This AI arm, to create AI-generated tests of a number of creative concepts for Brugal. Made By Humans produced a series of visual mock-ups that helped the agency visualise different creative routes for their client. 

Ali worked closely with Guy Soulsby (Made By Humans AI Creative Director) to design concepts that could be executed in reality and lived in his visual world, a world the agency had by time fallen in love with. The tests allowed the clients to see visualisations of a number of creative routes quickly and cost effectively. 

Following the successful tests, Hudson Rouge partnered with Imagine This to bring the final vision to life presenting Ali as Director and Photographer for the campaign, marking his first project since joining the Imagine This roster. The resulting campaign reimagines Brugal’s heritage for a contemporary global audience, a cinematic celebration of culture and craft.

“It was brilliant to be involved from the very conceptual stage, before we even knew what we’d be shooting. We helped Hudson Rouge craft early art direction and casting through AI-generated visuals developed by our team at Made By Humans. By combining the technical precision of AI with the creative excellence of artists like Ali, we were able to support the agency from concept through to delivery a workflow that truly showcases what the Imagine This and Made By Humans partnership can uniquely offer our clients.” Toby Walsham, CEO, Imagine This & Made By Humans. 

The goal was to create a cinematic world that felt modern yet deeply true to Brugal’s spirit. From early development through post, Imagine This brought together talent from across its roster to ensure the campaign received the very best creative support at every stage. 

The studio’s AI team contributed to early concept exploration, while Ali led the shoot on location in the Dominican Republic. The production was further elevated by the involvement of stylist Tom Lipop, and during post production audio studio Supernormal - who handled the sound design and final mix.