Tito's 'canned cocktail' is not what you think

This summer, it's easy to picture shoppers standing in the aisles of grocery stores, paralyzed by the multitude of colors, flavors and alcohol percentages appearing on the scores of hard seltzer and canned cocktail brands that have emerged. But not to fret, Tito’s Handmade Vodka’s latest product drop might help simplify things—it's just a can. In a nose-thumbing to the industry, the spirits brand is selling a 16-ounce, double-steel walled, insulated, refillable can designed with “nutrition facts” that are actually recipes to make a Tito’s-based cocktail the way you like it. “Tito’s in a Can” is the first campaign from Tito’s with the agency Arts & Letters Creative Co. and was a year in the making. Both Tito’s and Arts & Letters decided this season would be the best time to debut the "product" given that canned cocktails are proving to be the drink of the summer. “The can was just a brilliant way to troll the moment, but also really tap into what Tito’s does, which is single-mindedly focus on making great vodka,” said Nick Kaplan, executive creative director for Arts & Letters Creative Co. Tito’s vodka is corn-based as opposed to the conventional potato- or wheat-based vodkas. The brand takes pride in its authenticity and skewing from trends, and this campaign extends that sentiment in a playful way. “We haven’t really followed the main kind of beverage alcohol rulebook, and there’s an element of sticking to what you believe in that I think we ultimately wanted to come through with this idea,” said Taylor Berry, VP of brand marketing at Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Other brands have tried to remain true to their core product in creative ways. Molson Coors-owned Miller Genuine Draft, for example, poked fun at the hard seltzer craze with its own seltzer "launch"—all the way to space, in a campaign from Mischief. Despite Miller Genuine Draft’s anti-seltzer stance, Molson Coors still invested in the trend, launching the brands Vizzy and Topo Chico Hard Seltzer. But according to Berry, fans of Tito’s should not expect the brand to jump on the bandwagon. “I think if this campaign says anything it's exactly that—that there’s no future for a canned cocktail coming from Tito’s,” Berry said. “If you want to make a better quality seltzer, you can go ahead and make it in the can or make it in a glass the old-fashioned way." Tito’s in a Can can actually be purchased online at www.titosinacan.com or at the Love, Tito’s store in Texas where the brand is based. The can will retail for $20 and all net proceeds will go to the customer’s choice of nonprofits that the brand has teamed up with.

Tito's 'canned cocktail' is not what you think

Featured Stories