Cholula Hot Sauce named Vice agency Virtue as its lead creative shop following a review, and tasked it with leading strategic and creative development for the brand’s marketing efforts across North America.
The client-led review process lasted around two months and included four or five agencies in total, according to a source with knowledge of the process.
“When we sought out to find an agency partner, Virtue’s breakthrough strategy and creative really stood out to us, hitting the nail on the head for the brand. But since then, we’ve been even more impressed with their ability to pivot and adjust with us so quickly, providing creative solutions to our evolving business objectives during this global crisis,” Cholula Food Company CMO Miguel Leal said in a statement.
“This is an especially meaningful one for us at Virtue. It’s not often agencies find brand partners that truly share the same values and have the kind of chemistry we have with the Cholula team,” added Virtue managing director, North America Krystle Watler. “We’re thrilled to kick off our partnership with the Tacothon and look forward to the world seeing more that we create together.”
Virtue’s first campaign for the brand will be a virtual Tacothon designed to raise money for independent restaurants heavily impacted by Covid-19. The effort will feature celebrities such as NBA stars Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo, actress Sophia Bush, and chefs Tom Colicchio, Christina Tosi and Aarón Sánchez. The campaign kicks off tomorrow on Instagram Live, with celebrity partners also streaming from their individual handles. Cholula will pledge a dollar for every viewer, up to $100,000 (with a minimum contribution of $50,000).
Cholula spent $625,000 in the U.S. on measured media last year, down from over $1.5 million in 2018, according to Kantar Media.