How Does Jefferson's Bourbon Roll? With Taylor Kitsch in a Tumbleweed, That's How

The Friday Night Lights star is head over heels for the brand

It’s not often you see a pitchman—in this case, Taylor Kitsch from Friday Night Lights—deliver lines from inside a tumbling tumbleweed.

So thanks, Jefferson’s Bourbon and Droga5, for this amazingly realistic 100-percent practical, in-camera highlight from your new commercial!

Well, maybe there was some tech trickery at play for the fancy, fantastical imagery. Just a smidge. You be the judge:

Ace director Jeff Low keeps the action from the Pernod brand rolling at a nice clip, cramming in enough compelling visuals—deserts, ice peaks, stormy seas—for a half-dozen adverts.

Low notes that Kitsch, known for serious roles, plays against type “to poke some fun at the seriousness of most liquor ads.” The goal was to subvert the heritage plays that often define the category, he says. The work certainly succeeds, tapping a funky beer-brand vibe to hype whiskey.

“The experience on set was fun and creative, and I think that spirit comes through in the spots,” Kitsch says.

Tagged “Tradition in the Breaking,” the effort breaks this week across various video and social platforms.