1800 Tequila celebrates the 10th anniversary of its exclusive packaging that depicts modern artists’ work on the Snapchat photo-messaging app with an augmented reality (AR) experience. In shops, bars and restaurants, eye-catching labels and distinctly designed bottles were a way for liquor brands to differentiate themselves, but younger buyers continued to search for exclusive experiences that they could share on social media.
1800 Tequila will engage these customers, expand visibility to its branding and inspire people to share the experience in messages and storeys by providing AR content on Snapchat. On Snapchat, AR lenses are famous, with Snap’s parent company claiming that 75% of its regular users engage with immersive content every day.
Through scanning its limited-edition tequila bottles with their smartphone cameras, which open up Okuda-themed lenses, Snapchat users can see the AR content. 1800 Tequila has also developed a 30-second YouTube video that shows the artwork of Okuda in many New York City neighbourhoods.
With the coronavirus pandemic restricting sales in bars and restaurants, it is more essential for spirits brands such as 1800 Tequila to engage customers across digital channels. Some customers have turned to video conferencing platforms such as Zoom to host lockdown quarantine cocktail parties with friends.
During the pandemic, alcohol sales outside bars and restaurants rose by around 24 percent, and drinks with higher alcohol content, such as distilled spirits, rose by 27 percent from a year earlier, according to Nielsen data cited by NPR. Sales to homebound customers are likely to stay high until more individuals feel more comfortable going to bars and restaurants.
Beer, wine and spirits marketers had created a range of digital experiences well before the pandemic to start engaging younger adults on their smartphone’s and even create direct sales for delivery. Last year, Tequila label Patrón has become the first liquor brand to make it possible to order directly via Instagram by swiping on its Stories advertisements.
Last year, Californian wine brand Böen added extra packaging that allows smartphone users to see much more information about the products by tapping their smartphones on its bottle caps. Bulleit Bourbon, Jack Daniel’s, Kahlúa, Skyy Vodka, Malibu, Shackleton Whiskey, Jägermeister and Remy Cointreau are also among the brands that have established mobile strategies through mobile or digital experiences to prolong brand visibility to customers.
