Alcohol brands are opting for more media tie-ins

Welcome to the last Friday in February. One step closer to spring and your next garden party. And tequila brands are bringing the beverages.

Espolòn Takes a Stab at Slinging Tequila with Scream

Another brand is doing a media tie-in campaign. Espolòn Tequila is creating Scream-themed cocktails in honor of Scream VI, but they're not stopping there. Espolòn is working with movie theaters to serve these specialty cocktails during showings and alcohol-delivery service Drizly to let viewers on home partake. All of this comes shortly after Patrón's AI-generated cocktails to celebrate National Margarita Day.

Meanwhile, Coors Banquet was named the official beer of Paramount Network's “Yellowstone” series and will have bottles and cans sprinkled through the show’s fifth season. And all of this harkens back to White Claw’s partnership with Netflix and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery at the end of last year.

Alcohol brands are leaning into festive ways to get people excited about drinking. Perhaps this is their effort to combat dry January and the sober-curious movement? Either way, we've seen media tie-ins work well in the past, so why not?

Diversity in the Media Surrounding Ads Matters

Agencies, entertainment companies, and measurement firms are determining ways to measure how onscreen diversity correlates to bingeability and relevancy. It’s already known that diversity does well with audiences, but it isn’t just casting that benefits from it—diverse writers' rooms produce more popular television shows. And consumers notice when ads run during shows with a lack of representation.

“If you are a big brand, and you’re placing your creative advertising within content, you want to make sure that that content also speaks to your brand’s values,” Stacie de Armas, Nielsen’s SVP, DEI, diverse insights, intelligence, and initiatives, told Marketing Brew. “It’s important in a way that it wasn’t before.”

Supporting brands that support your values is paramount for today’s consumers. Paying attention to the content surrounding your ad is important. Marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum and savvy consumers take notice of your choices—or non-choices.

Around the Web

• The pilot program may have ended, but for some U.K. companies, the 4-day workweek won’t.

• Spotify has released an artificially-intelligent DJ…to mixed sentiment.

• NPR, “not seeing signs of a recovery in the advertising market,” is cutting ~10% of its workforce.

• Linear TV ad-buying is transforming to compete with streaming.

• Despite being “not a big beer drinker,” Bill Gates has invested in Heineken.

Just Can’t Get Enough

Kansas City, Missouri. You heard right—the city’s popping up in a big way.

• For example, it’s the #1 city in the world for a remote workcation.

• And European cities have nothing on Kansas City’s fountain game.

Will you be seeing Scream VI during your Kansas City-workcation? How do you feel about media tie-ins and product placement? Reply and let us know your thoughts!

Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you Monday!