Remy Cointreau Taps White Lotus Star Aubrey Plaza
Orange liqueur Cointreau teamed up with Aubrey Plaza to launch a new creative campaign where the actor insists that the only way to enjoy a margarita is the “MargaRight” way— with Cointreau.
Cointreau is a frequent ingredient in America’s top cocktail. The French spirit company celebrated the 75th anniversary of the cocktail recipe by debuting its largest creative campaign to-date across TV, digital, and social platforms. The campaign includes a range of video spots and photo stills showcasing how margaritas should be enjoyed, and the actor is expected to make Cointreau margaritas on her social platforms as well.
“Cointreau has a history of cinematic storytelling with continued investment in marketing and partnering with top-tier celebrity talent, now including Aubrey Plaza,” said Nicolas Beckers, President and CEO at Rémy Cointreau America.
The company has found a niche partnering with rising comedic TV stars: last year’s campaign featured Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy.
Despite the rise of margaritas in the U.S., Rémy Cointreau is projecting flat organic sales in the financial year 2023-2024, reflecting weak U.S. demand. Full-year sales for liqueurs and spirits were up 18.7% last year.
Smirnoff Launches New Campaign Focused on Inclusivity
In the midst of Pride celebrations this month, Smirnoff has unveiled a new campaign, dubbed “We Do We,” that champions the “power of the collective.” In a significant shift for the company, the campaign will take a digital-first approach in over 20 markets worldwide in the coming months. The campaign will also extend to music, sport, and entertainment through events, partnerships, and sponsorships, from festival season through the NFL season.
“At a time when the expression of ‘you do you’ has lost some of its shine and inclusivity is being challenged around the world, ‘we do we’ is our rallying cry to embrace the power of the collective,” said Stephanie Jacoby, Smirnoff global brand director.
London and LA-based collective ManvsMachine is directing and producing the campaign’s primary content, which will feature a diverse cast that represents “the wide range of Smirnoff’s consumers.”
The campaign follows Smirnoff’s brand activations at Pride events globally, reinforcing the brand’s “enduring commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community.” Past global campaigns have included language more directly targeted at supporting the LGBTQ+ community with prominent members featured in campaigns.
The current initiative comes on the heels of anti-trans legislation across the country, and the boycott of A-B’s Bud Light brand, led by right wing influencers and political figureheads following a one-off influencer promotion with a transgender woman in early April.
Jameson Launches Capsule Collection With Dickies
Jameson has teamed up with workwear manufacturer Dickies for a global campaign called ‘Crafted Together’ featuring workwear-inspired apparel and accessories. The products are now available in 26 markets globally including the U.K., U.S., Canada and Asia.
Targeting “modern-day creators worldwide”, the collection “encapsulates a shared appreciation for craftsmanship and community.” The capsule collection includes the iconic Dickies Eisenhower Jacket, overalls, beanies, caps, and tees featuring a graphic paying tribute to Jameson’s original ‘Barrelman’ icon, a symbol linked to the brand since the 1700s.
“Jameson Irish Whiskey was founded in 1780 when workwear was the uniform of the working community, often seen in the local pub after a hard day’s work,” said Brendan Buckley, global marketing director for Jameson. “Meanwhile, Dickies began its life in 1922 as a quality and respected workwear brand. Craft and kinship underpin both brands and we are delighted to bring that shared ethos to life through the Jameson and Dickies Crafted Together collection.”
Brooklyn-based photographer Rich Gilligan captured content at Midleton Distillery in Ireland, presenting a modern-day aesthetic of industrial workwear and the blending of the two brands. The collection will also be sold through pop-up stores in New York City and London, providing an immersive experience with Jameson cocktails.
Dickies has partnered in the past with brands such as Gucci and Ford. Other spirit companies have also recently dropped fashion collaborations.
Vita Coco + Captain Morgan Go On Tour
Captain Morgan and Vita Coco are promising to bring summer vibes to the U.S. with their “Tropical Takeover Tour.” Their canned cocktail collaboration, Vita Coco Spiked with Captain Morgan, will be featured in a nationwide tour with performances by Caribbean artists Sean Paul, Myke Towers, and Shenseea.
The tour will stop in Jamaica, Queens, New York; San Juan Capistrano, California; and Jamaica Plain in Boston. The spiked coconut water will also offer the chance to win drops of custom tropi-kits via a text message sweepstakes.
During its Q1 earnings report, co-founder and executive chairman Mike Kirban said it is too early to read repeat purchase rates for its alcoholic Vita Coco Spiked line, which launched in Q1 and is produced in partnership with Diageo, but he suggested early sales are encouraging and on track with expectations. The offering debuted among a small wave of other RTD coconut waters, building on coconut water’s momentum and better-for-you trends.
The tour will compete with other RTD-sponsored summer shows, like Smirnoff ICE’s bash with Shaggy and T-Pain.
Notable spirit campaigns:
- Avión Goes After Golfers
Tequila Avión is partnering with golf-enthusiasts, professional basketball player Nick Young and former football wide receiver Victor Cruz. The campaign enlisted the pro-athletes to “elevate modern golf traditions” by offering cocktail kits with autographed golf accessories.
- Bulleit Spotlights Creatives
Last week at Tribeca Bulleit Frontier Whiskey presented the latest chapter of the Bulleit Pioneer Project — its multi-year commitment to championing and amplifying those breaking new ground in culture across art, sustainability, food, cocktails and mixology, and technology. This time around Bulleit joined forces with the film festival and music distributor UnitedMasters to spotlight New York’s creative talent. Bulleit and UnitedMasters are now poised to launch a comprehensive summer-long program, extending mentorship opportunities to aspiring artists seeking to advance their craft.