‘F*** you, pumpkin spice.’ Aviation Gin’s new ad takes aim at fall’s favorite flavor

For Negroni Week, Ryan Reynolds reminds you to not to overgarnish your gin drinks like a cult member

Published On
Sep 18, 2023
Ryan Reynolds looking angry in his latest Aviation Gin spot

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The pumpkin spice train keeps rolling on, with more brands than ever joining the annual fall craze that Starbucks helped popularize 20 years ago.

But Aviation American Gin will not be jumping on the bandwagon.

Ryan Reynolds takes direct aim at fall’s favorite flavor in a new ad, where he drops a few F-bombs, mixes a Negroni (it is, apparently Negroni Week) and generally leaves little doubt where he stands on the pumpkin-spice issue.

 

The spot, from Maximum Effort, leans into the backlash against pumpkin spice as many consumers—though certainly not all—are tired of the trend. “I think that fatigue can happen with any products. But pumpkin spice lattes have weirdly become kind of a cultural icon of their own. Unlike a lot of products, honestly,” said Brynna Aylward, executive creative director at Gut Toronto, told Ad Age recently. “They're kind of inextricably linked with fall, whether you love them or you love to hate them.”

The ad points to negroniweek.com, which offers recipes, a list of bars that are participating in Negroni Week, merch and more. Negroni Week was introduced by Imbibe Magazine in 2013, as a way to celebrate the cocktail and raise money for various charities. Thousands of venues around the world now participate, and Negroni Week has raised more than $4 million for different causes to date.