EXOTICO TEQUILA
Exotico is an award-winning, 100% blue agave tequila—a fun, social brand that brings excitement and mystery to any situation and raises expectations of what tequila should be. With limited distribution, it struggles with awareness in a saturated market.
Make it Exotico
UPBrand has been building the brand through social and digital media since 2017. Through compelling creative, we’ve achieved record-level reach, engagement and audience size, more than doubling Facebook followers and growing Instagram tenfold.
Brand Guidelines
To reach a target audience of educated foodies and home bartenders, Exotico® Tequila needed a fresh, social-first brand facelift that screamed approachability. To accomplish this, we developed brighter, cheekier brand standards for Exotico’s tequila expressions, captured in an easy-to-use brand guidelines booklet. These guidelines ushered in the brand’s updated typography, an illustrative graphic toolkit, a snappier tone of voice and a summery color palette. Gone were the days of a dimly lit photography, unclear messaging and flavorless type. In were brand elements that spoke to the audience, translated beautifully to social and celebrated the spirit(s) of Jalisco.
Website
To build on the brand’s social-first strategy, Exotico’s website had to be visually stunning, easy to navigate and chock full of shareable content. Every element – down to a witty 404 error page – was built to bolster the brand’s new sociable personality. The homepage went from cluttered, dark and overly limey to a refreshing teal-forward digital space, with a simplified automatic carousel and a front-and-center social feed.
Nothing screams “approachable, authentic Mexican experience” more than stepping foot into a taqueria. And with bold menu signage and colorful murals, the taqueria experience is as instantly visually recognizable as it is completely transporting.
As a reasonably-priced, Jalisco-grown spirit, Exotico is the taqueria of the tequila world. It’s classic. Inviting. And made for those who crave the real flavors of Mexico.
For our “Bring the Taqueria Home” campaign, we positioned Exotico Tequila as the authentic tequila that will turn your home into the taqueria you’ve missed being in during the pandemic. All you need is a lime, some takeout tacos and a bottle of Exotico Tequila, ordered through Drizly.
Destination Exotico
Over the summer, one of Exotico’s key selling seasons, we created the world of Destination Exotico. This 12-week campaign was our most engaging of the year – showing a journey of self-expression and discovery through maps, postcards, travel guides and (of course) drink recipes. Strategically planned, eye-catching content delivered Exotico’s magical take on summer.
Hidden Messages
Exotico is more than tequila. It’s a communication from the spirit world, which is bright and full of life. Through Exotico’s unique brand voice, users can see and decipher messages from the beyond, communicated through neon signs inspired by the colors on the label.
Honor the Spirits
During Day of the Dead, revelers create altars to honor their loved ones who have passed, hoping to receive wisdom, fortune and luck in return. Through social content, users were invited to interact with games of fortune and luck, or ask for wisdom from the spirit of Exotico. Custom-illustrated (and Addy-award winning!) Tarot cards were used for online giveaways and event activations.
Cinco de Mayo
In the midst of a crowded, tequila-centric holiday, Exotico is a better-tasting, more premium option. Simple, bold and cheerful photography with traditional Mexican papel picado papercraft brightened timelines and reinforced Exotico’s position as a step above the ordinary.
Tacoganda
Taco Tuesday is a mainstay, but why limit such delicious goodness to a single day of the week? An unexpected pro-taco propaganda campaign opened minds, inviting users to join the #TacoParty and indulge in tacos and Exotico Tequila whenever the mood strikes.
Bright Night
Unlike the somber and scary themes of Halloween, Day of the Dead is a time of celebration–and that energetic spirit is at Exotico’s core. To illustrate this upbeat personality in the face of the macabre, a stunning photo series with costumed models and colorful cocktails brought the brand essence to life.
Photography
All UPBrand-produced Exotico photography is inspired by the bright colors of the bottle, creating an ownable visual space for the brand and helping audiences recognize it on shelf. We use a variety of production and post-production techniques to achieve the unique look.
Video & Motion
Exotico’s most engaging posts feature motion to demand attention in a user’s feed. Sip-sized content combined with illustration and live footage keeps things fresh for an inattentive audience.
Digital Strategy
To create additional brand touchpoints, a broader digital strategy supplements Exotico’s activity on social media. Branded and non-branded paid search campaigns and display ads with impressive click-thru rates drive users to Exotico’s website to learn more about the product. Ongoing SEO strategy, including recipe and blog content development, continue to improve organic search rankings for the small but mighty tequila.
