BuzzBallz Hosts a Pool Party
BuzzBallz is diving into summer with its biggest format yet: a fully inflatable, above-ground pool shaped like its spherical containers and in the fan-favorite Berry Cherry Limeade color. Complete with a pull-tab floaty and pool cover modeled after its branded lid, the splash zone drops July 31 for $20, matching the price of a BuzzBallz Biggie.
“Our legal team very clearly said no to filling a pool with cocktails – but they did let us make the next best thing. This is the first cocktail-inspired above-ground pool,” said Jess Scheerhorn, BuzzBallz vice president at Sazerac, in a press release.
While BuzzBallz might not align with certain emerging BevAlc trends like low-sugar or mindful drinking, its relaxed branding and novelty status has earned it some credibility with Gen Z. BuzzBallz is one of the top RTD brands and still leading wine-based RTDs in sales growth (+62.1% in the two weeks ending July 12). Swag has been a part of that success: its “Buzz Club” program has allowed the company to gather data on its drinkers, and allowed its fans to earn points for swag rewards based on uploading receipts data, or completing quarterly reviews, games, and surveys.
Patrón Gets Bleeped
In round two of its additive-free campaign, Patrón is firing back at regulatory pressure with a cheeky new effort, “Censored Truth.”
The campaign is Patrón’s response to controversy over the use of “additive-free,” a label tequila brands have been using to distinguish themselves from brands that use the 1% allowed ingredients in 100% tequila, such as potent sugary syrups and artificial colors. Additive-free advocates have butt heads in recent years with Tequila’s regulatory body (CRT), culminating with the CRT denouncing the use of additive-free language. The CRT even temporarily revoked Bacardi-owned Patrón’s export certificate in response to an additive-free ad campaign the brand debuted earlier this year.
This month, Patrón doubled-down with a campaign featuring redacted visuals and bleeped-out language that emphasize its purity of ingredients, as its competitors face controversy about the purity of their tequilas. Visuals hit in select U.S. markets, including New York City, New Orleans, Atlanta, New Jersey and Cleveland, with train wraps at major transport hubs, all building up to a takeover at Tales of the Cocktail last week.
High West Saddles Up With Luke Grimes
Actor and musician Luke Grimes is the newest ambassador for High West’s long-running “Protect the West” initiative, which has donated over $1 million to nonprofits focused on land preservation, wildfire prevention and climate resilience. The campaign kicked off on the summer solstice with a sweepstakes inviting fans to win a trip to the distillery’s home base in Park City, Utah.
Grimes will help amplify the campaign message “through storytelling and awareness efforts designed to inspire others to take action and get involved,” according to a release.
MARTINI Goes ‘Off Script’ With Jonathan Bailey
MARTINI Bianco’s “Off Script” campaign stars actor Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers), who swapped screen time for spritz time in southern Italy to promote spontaneity and playful living. The campaign was inspired by “new research” from MARTINI that revealed 62% of people believing that day-to-day choices, from holiday spots to hobbies and even their go-to drinks order, have become repetitive or predictable.
The campaign features rooftop pop-ups across Europe and highlights an easy-to-make MARTINI Spritz, clearly aiming to extend the cocktail’s rise into summer 2025.
Maru-Hi Taps Ariana Madix For Instagram Campaign
Suntory’s sparkling cocktail brand Maru-Hi has teamed up with Ariana Madix (Vanderpump Rules, Love Island USA) to push the brand’s variety pack arrival in California and Hawaii. While celebrating “summer with a drink that’s made to share with your inner circle,” fans can tag the brand and Madix for a chance to land on her Instagram.
Maru-Hi launched at the top of the year as part of a new malt-focused business unit fueling Suntory’s larger ambition to be the No. 1 global RTD company by 2030, a market that is projected to reach $50 billion in the next five years.