Aperol, the bright orange Italian aperitif that has posted phenomenal growth in recent years, is now serving at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, part of a new sponsorship strategy that has the brand showing up at more events.

The US Open partnership puts two Aperol Spritz bars on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, along with two drink carts, for the tournament, which runs this week into September. It comes as the fast-growing brand seeks a “bigger stage” to present itself to U.S. consumers, said Andrea Sengara, VP of marketing for Aperol parent Campari America.

Aperol earlier this year sponsored the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, also for the first time.

“I think as we looked at the evolution of the brand over the last number of years since it first popped really nicely in this market, we thought it was time to take Aperol and the Aperol Spritz to a bigger stage,” Sengara said in an interview. “If you think about what we’ve done this year, a lot of work has gone into figuring out what is the right stage for this brand, where we can really lean into what we are all about, which is joyful occasions.”

At events such as the US Open and Coachella, Aperol is seeking to integrate organically into a stream of culture that resonates with fans, Sengara said. Those fans frequently share the experience on social media, helping to further build Aperol’s popularity, typically for the Spritz, which is usually made with sparkling wine (prosecco or Champagne) and club soda, and garnished with an orange.

“I always say that we’ve become an entertainment company because we really create content which is very alluring for our consumers, and then they basically broadcast that via their own social networks,” Robert Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Campari Group, said during an earnings conference call in July. “It’s a great system, and it’s working very, very well.”

Other music festivals Aperol has also exhibited in include the Aperol Rock in Mille in Rome; the Primavera Sound Festival in Spain; and the Aperol Spritz Apridisco in London.

Campari has shifted its marketing mix to over 95% digital and experiential marketing, Kunse-Concewitz added. “We hardly have any classical media anymore.”

The U.S. is Campari’s largest market, accounting for 27% of the company’s first-half 2023 net sales. Aperol is the company’s biggest brand, representing 26% of first-half 2023 worldwide net sales. Campari spent around $110 million in the first half of this year on advertising in the Americas region. 

At the US Open, the Aperol Spritz will do battle with Grey Goose’s Honey Deuce, a $22 vodka-lemonade cocktail garnished with honeydew melon balls that’s been a longtime favorite of spectators at the tournament. The Bacardi-owned brand’s deal with the Open makes the Deuce the event's “official cocktail.” Aperol settled for the “official partner” moniker. The Honey Deuce racked up almost $9 million in sales at the US Open last year. The USTA also named Maestro Dobel the official tequila of the tournament; the brand will be serving Maestro Dobel Ace Paloma in a souvenir cup.

Grey Goose and Aperol both have tennis-themed promotions running with cocktail delivery brand Cocktail Courier. New York residents can order Honey Duece deliveries, with options including four cocktails for $60. (DoorDash handles the delivery.) Aperol is pushing the “perfect serve kit,” which includes a bottle of prosecco and Aperol and other ingredients for $82.99.

Lower ABV

Aperol’s U.S. sales have multiplied from 9,000 cases in 2010 to 390,000 cases last year, according to Impact Databank figures reported by Shanken News Daily. In the fiscal second quarter, Aperol’s U.S. sales increased by 122.5%, Campari execs said. Aperol Spritz is the most popular cocktail in Italy and No. 6 worldwide, according to Drinks International’s 2022 report.

U.S. growth reflects consumer trends toward lower-alcohol cocktails (Aperol is 11% ABV), bitter taste profiles, and a growing appreciation for “apertivo” culture, helped along by appearances of the Aperol Spritz in TV programs such as “White Lotus.”

“Consumers are looking for sessionable, delicious, fun, beautiful beverages,” Sengara said. “I think we as an organization identified the Aperol Spritz as the main way to bring Aperol to consumers globally, and as we started to do that here [in the U.S.], we saw how it was really playing to other dynamics at the same time, which was the interest in more sessionable, lower-alcohol products and that continues to drive the brand today.”

One thing that helps encourage social media sharing is the elegant appearance of an Aprerol Spritz, which is golden orange and typically served in a balloon wine glass with an orange slice, Sengara said.

The Spritz trend can also be seen in ready-to-drink brands such as Spritz Society, which markets wine-based bubbly beverages inspired by spritzes. The Hugo Spritz, which uses St. Germain elderberry liqueur, has been called the drink of the summer.

TikTok users are experimenting with the Aperol Spritz formula, with the trendy Poppi soda substituted for club soda. Another trend is making an Aperol Spritz on top of a scoop of orange sherbet.

Read more: Poppi takes on Coke and Pepsi

Not all the attention Aperol generates is positive. Some TikTok videos document users who try an Aperol Spritz for the appearance, but who report the taste is “gasoline,” or “hand sanitizer.” And The New York Times a few years back panned the drink, saying it “drinks like a Capri Sun after soccer practice on a hot day. Not in a good way.”

Part of Aperol’s marketing message to consumers is that it’s easy to prepare at home, using a “3-2-1” formula: 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part soda. But the brand isn’t taking any chances, expanding a ready-to-serve version in a bottle.

“One of the things we spent a lot of investment in is the drink itself—so making sure people know how to make the best possible Aperol Spritz. We do that all over the world because it’s important for consumers to know about that,” Sengara said. A ready-to-serve version, she added, “gives consumers opportunities to enjoy the occasion in the most convenient format.”