Many drink brands have turned to celebrities to boost their marketing, but as consumers, how much do we allow famous people to influence our purchasing?
Do people really assume it must be good just because they saw George Clooney drink it? It is debatable whether celebs are used to improve sales of mediocre spirits or whether the spirits are actually worth the hype…
There’s a lot of competition in the drinks industry, so it is understandable they want to use the power of celebrities to enhance their sales. It doesn’t, however, guarantee a premium brand.
Celebrities have endorsed drink brands for years (Sean Connery promoted Jim Beam back in the 60s), so it’s unlikely that this type of collaboration will disappear.
Now, we are not only seeing stars putting their faces next to the brand name, but they are also getting involved in cocktail making.
818 Tequila—Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner has been a very active promoter of her 818 Tequila brand, which launched in 2021. With it, has come a lot of backlash over the brand’s marketing and, it goes without saying, with her being part of the Kardashian-Jenner dynasty, opinions are offered, wanted or not.
It is clear, though, that Jenner is trying to show her following that she is genuinely enjoying the tequilas by creating cocktails and attending events. By engaging directly with fans both online and offline, she is humanising the brand, which then helps with brand trust amongst consumers.
Looking at the reviews, the reposado receives more positive feedback than the blanco, which is said to be a bit bland and not to offer much body for classic cocktails such as the Margarita.
Hennessy—Damson Idris & Teyana Taylor
Hennessy’s latest campaign ‘Made for More’ features five films showcasing the Cognac’s mixability and versatility. The actor Damson Idris and singer-songwriter/actor Teyana Taylor are the stars of these sleek and arty videos where they mix cocktails in very unusual ways.
The films are pretty entertaining and well made. However, you don’t actually see the stars drinking the cocktails themselves…
Absolut—Matt Rogers
Absolut Vodka teamed up with comedian Matt Rogers during the Coachella festival. He hosted a weekly video series called Mixing It Up: Cosmos & Culture where he talked about the latest fashion trends and youth culture with special guests, all while they sipped Absolut Cosmopolitan cocktails together.
A great marketing campaign aimed at a younger audience. Talking about topics important to the audience while bringing in cocktail making definitely makes it easier to connect with their consumers.
Tanqueray—Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci’s cocktail videos were the talk of the lockdown, and now he has teamed up with Tanqueray No Ten Gin for a ‘Make It a Martini’ campaign.
This time Tucci is not making the cocktail himself, but he is seen in a chic bar ordering one and making the other customers follow suit.
Johnnie Walker—Simone Ashley
Johnnie Walker’s ‘Bold Steps’ campaign included a short film with the actress Simone Ashley from Bridgerton and Sex Education.
The aim of the campaign was to challenge the stereotypes of your average Whisky drinker seen in adverts. Ashley said she ‘knows the power of seeing others who look like me at the table and in the room’.
Aviation—Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds bought a significant stake in Aviation American Gin some years ago. The Gin was then sold to Diageo for $610 million in August 2020, yet Reynolds still remains somewhat involved in the promotion of the brand, which makes you think perhaps he actually enjoys the Gin even beyond the pay cheque.
Now Aviation has created a special black bottle to celebrate the recent Marvel Studios film Deadpool & Wolverine. These comics and their movies tend to have a huge following and are therefore likely to increase the sales of the Gin even more.
Belvedere—Daniel Craig & Future
Belvedere has spent some serious money recently with marketing videos with the ex-James Bond star Daniel Craig and the most recent advert with the rapper Future.
By teaming up with different types of celebrities, the vodka brand is able to reach a wider demographic. Also, by bringing some humour into the luxury market they can make the brand feel more approachable.
Cointreau—Aubrey Plaza
Rémy Cointreau’s summer campaign saw the actress Aubrey Plaza (White Lotus) enjoy a Margarita cocktail ‘The MargaRight way’—Cointreau, Tequila and fresh lime juice—any other way ‘it’s just MargaWrong’.
So, celebrity endorsements—Worth it?
Testimonials are nothing new—by joining forces with a celeb, the brand benefits from their huge following. But there are pros and cons.
It can bring more loyal customers to the brand, as those unfamiliar with the brand are likely to try it if they are fans of the star promoting it.
Most brands that lean toward celebrity marketing tend to have huge budgets and are already well-known brands. Perhaps they are looking to reach modern drinkers, the younger audiences who tend to create more cocktails and be loyal to the brands they care about.
On the other hand, it can also work against the brand as many consumers avoid celebrity-endorsed brands due to the increased price tags and questionable quality of the product. Having someone famous promote the drink brand can be seen as inauthentic amongst consumers. The younger audience wants to know that the person is actually enjoying the product in real life and not just doing it for the pay cheque.
In the past there has been negative press around celebrities, which will then have a terrible impact on the drink brand. Some brands are created around the famous person, so when they decide to end the collaboration it can be hard for the brand to go on.
Take David Beckham’s Haig Club whisky. The whisky was produced by Diageo with Beckham being the face of the brand. Once he decided not to renew the contract, the brand ceased to exist.
Uses celebrities for endorsements is sure to continue—and with time we’ll see the bigger effects (or diminishing effects) of this trend.
