“We are excited to welcome Mekanism into the Cuervo family,” Lander Otegui, Proximo Spirits' senior VP of marketing, said in a statement. “We look forward to the new and memorable communications we will dream up together; campaigns that will strengthen our position as America’s favorite tequila.”
Mekanism has been tasked with evolving Jose Cuervo's brand strategy and strengthening its position as a “tequila category founder and the original, family-owned brand that blazed the path for others to follow,” according to the agency. Mekanism said it will create campaigns throughout 2020 to support not only the core Jose Cuervo brand, but sub-brands Especial, Tradicional, Reserva de la Familia and the Ready-to-drink and Ready-to-serve lines, as well.
Mekanism's first work for Jose Cuervo is a social effort, debuting today, that is aimed at providing people with free meals during the pandemic.
Launched on “Taco Tuesday,” the brand is encouraging consumers to stay home this Cinco de Mayo (May 5) and order from their favorite local, independent Mexican restaurants through a social media sweepstakes. The sweepstakes, powered by Venmo, will give consumers the chance to have the cost of their meals refunded by Jose Cuervo. To enter, participants must tweet a photo of their original meal receipt to @JoseCuervo, with the hashtags #CincoToGo and #CuervoContest. The sweepstakes begins today and runs through May 5.
Jose Cuervo has also donated $1 million to U.S. charities providing relief to those affected by the current crisis, including World Central Kitchen and its #ChefsForAmerica movement.
“As an independent agency, one of Mekanism’s core company values is our dedication to both our team members and our clients,” Jason Harris, co-founder and CEO of Mekanism, said in a statement. “We like to think of ourselves as one big family. And for over 225 years, Jose Cuervo has been a family-owned business and pioneer in the tequila industry. This Cinco de Mayo, due to Covid, we pivoted from our original campaign direction, to connect with tequila-lovers in a more meaningful way that keeps intact the spirit of the brand and the popular calendar date.”
According to estimates from Kantar, Proximo Spirits spent $36.5 million on measured media in the U.S. in 2018 across its brands, including $16.3 million on Jose Cuervo alone. During the first half of 2019, Proximo Spirits spent approximately $13 million on measured media domestically, including $7.6 million on the Jose Cuervo brand.
