Who’s Padre azul?

Despite winning many awards for taste and quality Padre azul was not positioned well in the market. The dark and smoky advertising aesthetic didn’t reflect the flamboyance, joy and tradition the brand was proud of. While it was a great product with huge potential, its image didn’t have a consistent message and its visual representation was not on point.

The company wanted to educate customers about the production process, from picking the best land for growing agave to the care taken with the last, hand-made stitches on the bottle’s leather jacket. Delivering curious insights into Mexican culture and providing a spiritual connection to the brand was part of the brief, along with building a whole new Padre community that focused on celebrating together – not just selling booze. It was also important to shake the macho, heavy-spirit stereotype associated with Tequila and make it more synonymous with fun and freedom. Introducing aesthetics that would attract more girls to the brand was also an important objective.

We needed to showcase the joy, beauty and colours of Mexico, and the human connections these all inspire. It was vital to make a correlation between the features of the Tequila and the bottle – the skull, the leather jacket and agave plant – and the cultural roots of these elements. The focus was on making Padre azul a catalyst for those happy moments and meetings between family and friends. The message also had to maintain the Tequila’s reputation as a high quality, award-winning product where every detail had been considered. We wanted to remind customers that the smooth taste could only be achieved by the best distillation methods, and also invite them to be part of the Padre azul family by sharing their photos and stories.

A range of design initiatives helped to give life to the brand. We utilised a stack of full-colour photography set against black and white base elements to make the images pop. The photography was also curated to channel a sense of mystique. To add depth and authenticity we told the history of Padre azul, showcased the medals the Tequila had won and emphasised the core values of 100% Agave and 100% Mexico. To lighten the mood a little we introduced Ramon as a friendly brand mascot and included similarly friendly iconography.

Clean sales brochures were created to support the sales department, in conjunction with a brand manifesto that helped alcohol boutiques provide customers with inspiring information about Padre azul. Meanwhile, curated photo walls for events like the Prague Hurley Days encouraged customers to crystallise their memories from a dream motor-trip to Tequila City.

The reinvention of the Padre azul image created a consistent visual message that was in line with the brand’s core values. This delivered greater market cut-through and in turn made it easier for their team to identify key selling points and celebrate what makes their brand special. The website functions as a major touch point for both brand information and sales, and Padre azul now looks and feels like a flourishing brand that offers a high quality product. Employees and clients are excited to belong to the Padre azul family and are deeply satisfied by the whole experience.