- 818 Tequila is looking to challenge the perception of it being a drink mostly consumed at bars and as a base for margaritas with a winter campaign embracing people’s tendency to stay in during the cold winter months.
- The new campaign, “Big Night In,” includes a partnership with ready-to-wear brand LESET to introduce “The Cocktail Attire Collection,” a line developed by both brands that is appropriate for
casual, indoor get-togethers, and cocktail recipes that substitute tequila for other alcohols. - The digital and social campaign was shot by Adrian Martin and features a cast of influencers including Lauren Chan, Jamea Lynne, Kendall Visser and Maggie Rawlins.
The effort is targeted at Millennial and Gen Z consumers, who have shown a propensity to spend more time at home, said Kathleen Braine, chief marketing officer at Calabasas Beverage Company. “They’re looking for ways to spend quality time with friends and family, especially at this time of year,” Braine said in a Zoom interview.
Indeed, the partnership with LESET is meant to showcase how going out may look a bit different for Millennials and Gen Z. Though dubbed “Cocktail Attire,” the clothes are decidedly casuals and comfy, more akin to loungewear than party attire. The campaign’s photography depicts the models in a casual bedroom setting. “We’re poking fun at the idea a bit in that it can be a set that you can wear at home,” Baine said.
Meanwhile, in a bid to get consumers thinking differently about tequila consumption, 818 has also created recipes for familiar cocktails, such as an amaretto sour, espresso martini and old fashioned, that substitute tequila for their more traditional vodkas, bourbons and gins. “It’s a more versatile spirit” than most assume, Braine said. “We’re trying to expand the horizon of the next generation of tequila drinkers.”
