Lounging by a crystalline swimming pool is a pretty good way to spend an afternoon, but it’s even better with embellishments like a few chilled cocktails and a giant umbrella for just the right amount of sun protection.
The same goes for a long soak in the tub, where scented candles, bath bombs and mixed drinks pump up the ambiance.
Those mood enhancers—both practical and pampering—come courtesy of the new “spokescart” for Tito’s Handmade Vodka, an inanimate object that comes to life in a series of just-launched ads from agency Arts & Letters Creative Co.
The tricked-out, anthropomorphic bar cart, stocked with Tito’s, has a penchant for showing up at opportune times, reading the room and providing the missing pieces for an elevated experience. (Hint: It always involves bottle service.)
For instance, it drops off firewood, blankets and drinks to a couple camping in the desert in one ad called “The Third Wheel With Tito’s.” And in “Rolling Retriever With Tito’s,” the cart turns a canine play date into a human happy hour for a group of dog owners, while shooting out tennis balls to keep the pups occupied.
An ‘audacious’ character
Even in its early stages, the concept from Arts & Letters was an easy sell, according to Taylor Berry, vice president of brand marketing at Texas-based Tito’s.
“Visualizing a cart emerging in inquisitive and delightful ways, mixed with a few subtle winks and nods in each script, gave the cart a personality on paper,” Berry told Adweek. “Once it came to life in preproduction with build materials that felt true to our brand, and then started autonomously pouring drinks, it was clear that this cart just felt like Tito’s.”
The agency intended to create “an audacious and slightly cheeky character,” per creative directors Brett Simone and Lillian O’Connor.
“And if we did our job right, we would have people rooting for a clunky pile of wood on wheels,” the creatives said in a statement.
Along with dropping four 30-second spots that hinge on the spokescart’s charm, resourcefulness and mad mixology skills, the campaign serves as the intro of a brand platform called “With Tito’s.”
The umbrella tagline gives Tito’s “a more personal and tailored approach” to communicate with consumers, with the goal of being “a canvas for creativity and customization, a unique and casual invitation” to the brand, Berry said.
“With Tito’s” will appear across the brand’s marketing channels, bar and restaurant events and promotions and via its collaborations.
Bountiful booze
Although it’s Dry January, when some drinkers take a break from alcohol, the spirits category is still robust, with Statista reporting $122 billion in U.S. sales in 2022 and anticipated 6% annual growth over the next three years. Berry described it as “an intensely crowded space with new brands seemingly launched daily.”
“Just like any industry, trends and brands go in and out of vogue, but we’ve always tried to block out the noise and stick to what we’re good at,” Berry told Adweek. “We’ve never approached the market the way you’re ‘supposed’ to.”
Previous marketing includes a collaboration with Martha Stewart for a “DIY January,” which jokingly encouraged people to use the vodka as a household cleaner instead of drinking it during the abstinence month. And as a contrarian response to the ready-to-drink craze, the brand sold empty insulated containers so that drinkers could mix their own gimlets, martinis and screwdrivers.
