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Case studies / 1971 Hook

Hudson Valley soil to 45 Whole Foods shelves.

WERZ’s own hot sauce brand: identity, film, photography and chef content — now in 45 Whole Foods stores.

1971 Hook · owned brand2024–2026Brand · Film · Photo · Content
Director’s cut, 2026 — from pepper field to bottle.View the film page →

01 / Farm — Hudson Valley, NY

He didn’t produce content for a hot sauce brand. He started one.

The search crossed state lines and ended in Hudson Valley, New York, with families who have grown peppers on this land for decades. Not contract growers. Craftsmen.

Wide view across the Hudson Valley pepper farm, silos on the horizon
A grower's hands picking a ripe red pepper from the plant
Red and green peppers ripening on the plant
Two growers working the pepper rows inside the greenhouse
Peppers cooking down in the pot before bottling
The farming team standing together in the greenhouse
An owned WERZ product — 1971 Hook was founded by WERZ founder Sebastian Werz. WERZ was client, studio and marketing team at once; this is documentation, not a client endorsement.

The name

A hook isn’t just a punch. It’s the one you throw after you get knocked down.

Not just resilience — returning harder. The MMA community found it before anyone ran an ad, and the chefs who cook with it aren’t paid.

Fight camp at Budokan Arts GymBudokan Arts Gym00:39

02 / Film

It doesn’t feel like an ad because it isn’t one.

We followed what was actually happening — fields at dawn, farmers at work, pepper to bottle.

The Proposal, a 30-second 1971 Hook spotThe Proposal00:30

Campaign spot

Built for buyers, made for everyone else.

A thirty-second spot for retail pitches and paid social.

The content engine · one brand system, clip by clip

A promo, a chef series shot in real kitchens and concept spots — all native 9:16.

El Jabalito promo00:17Chef Wade00:53Chef Rob · crawfish00:35Chef Rob · oysters00:50

03 / Stills

The product deserved a campaign, not a product shot.

Shot with the seriousness of fashion, built to carry into retail, press and shelf.

Model holding a 1971 Hook bottle in a red boxing glove, white studio
Model seated on a wire chair against a red backdrop, bottle raised
Close portrait with the 1971 Hook bottle held to the cheek
Full-length frame, model standing with the bottle raised

04 / Shelf — May 2026

Northern California, Boise, and Reno.

Whole Foods stores carry 1971 Hook.

Listed in May 2026. We don’t attribute the placement to any single creative asset.

See all 45 stores
Sebastian Werz with his father outside a Northern California Whole Foods Market, holding 1971 Hook bottles.
Sebastian and his father, Northern California Whole Foods, May 2026.
  1. San Francisco08
  2. East Bay04
  3. South Bay / Peninsula10
  4. Marin / North Bay06
  5. Wine Country01
  6. Contra Costa / Tri-Valley06
  7. Fremont01
  8. Sacramento Area03
  9. Central Valley01
  10. Central Coast03
  11. Out of State02

Behind the build · farm → kitchen → warehouse → shelf

Hudson Valley farm roadRestaurant shoot, behind the scenesKitchen shoot, behind the scenes1971 Hook bottles and box on redChef cooking with 1971 HookWarehouse boxesShipping palletsBottle held up on the highway1971 Hook shipping cartons

What we delivered · one system, six deliverables

Brand strategy & identityNaming · positioning · visual language
Director’s cut brand film01:05 · documentary-style · full arc
Photography03 series · farm, editorial, lifestyle
Chef series05 films · real kitchens · 9:16
Campaign spots:30 proposal · El Jabalito · Budokan
Social content libraryConcept spots · ongoing production

Related

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