Over the course of the pandemic, brands have stepped up to support local communities and businesses struggling to survive. Now with hurricane season underway, certain areas of the country are poised to come under further threat, so Bacardi-owned spirits brand Stillhouse is trying to do its part to ensure their well-being and safety. 

The brand, founded in 2016 by Brad Beckerman and acquired by Bacardi late last year, is known for being packaged in distinctive red flask-shaped steel cans. It’s now using that same material to create shutters for residents of the Florida panhandle who were victims of Hurricane Michael, which was the first Category 5 hurricane to hit the contiguous United States since 1992. That was two years ago, but 2020 is poised to bring a record-breaking hurricane season. So Stillhouse teamed with agency We Believers and national disaster resilience and recovery nonprofit SBP to create more than 400 metal “unbreakable” shutter panels for homes that were affected by Hurricane Michael. The effort will go to protecting the more than $3 million that SBP had invested into rebuilding those homes. 

According to We Believers co-founder Gustavo Lauria, inspiration for the idea was the brand’s own packaging. “Stillhouse takes pride in their metal cans—it allows for their spirits to be protected better than other whiskies, bourbon or vodkas, that are bottled in glass,” he says. “That strength of metal over glass and the reality that climate change is making hurricanes not only more common but stronger, inspired us to equip homes that were seriously affected by previous hurricanes with shutters to protect their property and prevent more damage while supporting the resilience of those communities. That’s why, rather than just promoting our brand with the typical spirit OOH campaign, we decided to redirect part of the OOH media budget to put more shutters and help people by protecting their homes.”

While providing protection, the effort also honors the strength and tenacity of locals in the area, mirroring Stillhouse’s own brand values of “resilience and solidarity,” said Jennifer Pisciotta, Global Vice President, Acceleration Brands, in a statement. “We’ve partnered with SBP to provide protection to homes in Bay County, FL through their expertise and longstanding commitment in the community.  They have worked tirelessly to help vulnerable families rebuild and we are honored to help aid in strengthening their resilient spirit.”