The best alcohol marketing campaigns build a character or a founder story, not just a product pitch. Dos Equis reported 111 percent volume growth over five years with its Most Interesting Man, and Diageo agreed to pay up to $610 million for Ryan Reynolds' Aviation Gin and up to $1 billion for Casamigos. Here are five alcohol campaigns, with what each one reported, plus five holiday cases below.
Last updated: November 13, 2026. Results are as reported by brands, agencies, awards bodies and the press, not independently audited.
In this guide
- Which alcohol campaigns made this list?
- Which alcohol campaign is best for each goal?
- What are the five best alcohol marketing campaigns?
- Which holiday alcohol campaigns reported the strongest results?
- What do the best alcohol campaigns have in common?
- How can alcohol brands copy these campaigns?
- Where can you find more alcohol marketing guides?
- Where can you find more best marketing campaign guides?
- Frequently asked questions
Which alcohol campaigns made this list?
This list covers five campaigns in beer, tequila and gin: Dos Equis "The Most Interesting Man in the World," Heineken "Worlds Apart," Casamigos, Aviation Gin, and the 2026 return of the Dos Equis character. Each was chosen because an agency, brand, awards body or news outlet published details of what happened.
"Best" is a judgment call, so this is 5W's pick of campaigns with a clear mechanism, not a ranking by sales. Two of the five are measured by what a buyer paid for the brand, which is a business outcome and not a campaign metric. Dos Equis appears twice because the 2026 revival is a separate test of whether a famous campaign can be brought back.
| Campaign | Brand | Idea | Reported result |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Most Interesting Man in the World (2007 to 2016) | Dos Equis | A fictional adventurer who does not always drink beer | 111% volume growth over five years |
| Worlds Apart (2017) | Heineken | Strangers with opposing views build something together | More than 40 million views, per LIONS |
| Casamigos (founded 2013) | Casamigos | A tequila brand started by celebrity friends | Bought by Diageo in 2017 for up to $1 billion |
| Aviation Gin (from 2018) | Aviation | A celebrity co-owner who markets the brand himself | Volume up more than 100% in 2019 |
| Most Interesting Man revival (2026) | Dos Equis | The original character returns after nearly a decade | Too early to judge |
Which alcohol campaign is best for each goal?
The best alcohol campaign depends on the goal: Dos Equis for sustained sales growth in a flat category, Heineken for brand meaning and earned reach, Casamigos for a founder-led launch, Aviation for a creative owner who runs the marketing, and the 2026 revival for reviving a dormant icon. The table matches each goal to the case with the clearest published evidence. The matches are 5W's reading of public information.
| If your goal is... | Look at | What was reported |
|---|---|---|
| Steady growth in a flat category | Dos Equis | Sales growth of more than 20% in 2012, per a Cannes Lions entry |
| Brand meaning and earned reach | Heineken Worlds Apart | More than 40 million views at the time of Cannes 2017 |
| A founder-led launch | Casamigos | Acquired by Diageo four years after founding |
| A creative owner as the marketer | Aviation Gin | 40% of US super-premium gin growth in 2019, per Diageo |
| Reviving an old icon | Dos Equis 2026 | Announced January 2026 as beer sales struggled |
| A holiday sales lift | Johnnie Walker, Lagavulin, Bacardi | Blue Label sales up more than 40%, December sales up 22%, and sales up 130% (see holiday cases below) |
What are the five best alcohol marketing campaigns?
The five campaigns below run from a long-running ad character to a gin brand that sold for hundreds of millions of dollars.
1. Dos Equis "The Most Interesting Man in the World"
Heineken USA and the agency Havas Worldwide New York, then called Euro RSCG, launched The Most Interesting Man in the World for Dos Equis in 2007, according to a Havas and Heineken USA release. The character did not always drink beer, but when he did, he preferred Dos Equis. A Cannes Lions entry says the campaign began in Dos Equis's heartland markets and went national in 2009.
The campaign won a Gold Effie in the Sustained Success category in 2013. The release reports that volume grew 111% over the five years the campaign had run, while the Mexican beer category declined, and that Dos Equis became the first beer brand to reach 1 million Facebook fans in 2011. The Cannes Lions entry reports sales growth of more than 20% in 2012.
Why it works: The character gave the brand a personality in a category where beers look alike, and the line "stay thirsty, my friends" spread beyond the ads.
2. Heineken "Worlds Apart"
Heineken released Worlds Apart in 2017 to bring its "Open Your World" tagline to life. According to Edelman, the film secretly brought together people with opposite views, let them bond, and then revealed who they were. Edelman and Publicis London created it, and LIONS reported that it won a Bronze Lion in the Cyber category at Cannes Lions that year.
LIONS reported more than 40 million views across social channels at the time of writing, and Edelman's own case reports more than 50 million. The agency also reports 15 million organic views in eight days before paid media began and a 7.3% increase in UK beer sales in the 12 weeks after launch. The sales figure comes from Edelman's case film and is not independently verified.
Why it works: The film put people, not beer, at the center, so viewers shared it for the idea and the brand benefited from the sharing.
3. Casamigos: a tequila brand started by friends
Casamigos was co-founded in 2013 by actor George Clooney and Rande Gerber, according to Fortune. Diageo bought the brand in 2017 in a deal worth up to $1 billion, according to Bloomberg and The Guardian. The sale price is the clearest published result, because the brand's growth and the founders' public profile were one story.
The case differs from an endorsement deal because the founders owned the brand, so the marketing and the ownership pointed the same way. The published figure describes the sale, not the marketing, so the price is evidence of brand value and not proof of what advertising caused.
Why it works: A founder who owns the brand has a reason to promote it that buyers can understand.
4. Aviation Gin: a celebrity co-owner who runs the marketing
Ryan Reynolds became co-owner of Aviation American Gin in February 2018, according to The Guardian, and grew it with his company, Maximum Effort Marketing, according to Beverage Dynamics. Diageo said Aviation grew volumes by more than 100% in 2019 and contributed 40% of super-premium gin segment growth in the United States, according to Drinks Trade.
Diageo announced on August 17, 2020 that it would buy Aviation and its parent Davos Brands in a deal worth up to $610 million. That figure was an initial $335 million plus up to $275 million based on performance over 10 years, according to Fortune. Reynolds kept an ownership interest in the brand, and Diageo's chief executive, Ivan Menezes, described the deal as part of a strategy to acquire high-growth brands with attractive margins, according to The Guardian.
Why it works: The owner's own creative company made the marketing, so the brand's tone stayed consistent and its cost stayed low.
5. The 2026 return of the Most Interesting Man
Dos Equis announced on January 16, 2026 that it would revive The Most Interesting Man after a decade off the air, according to CNN. CNN reported that the move came as Dos Equis sales struggled, and that Heineken 0.0 was the only Heineken-owned beer to register growth. The brand hopes a familiar face can help it hold or grow share.
American Craft Beer noted that the revival is a calculated bet on brand storytelling in a fragmented market and that whether it can reverse the sales decline remains to be seen. No sales result has been published, so this case is included as a test, not a proven win.
Why it works: The character still has public recognition, so the brand starts with a known asset. Whether recognition turns into sales is the open question.
Which holiday alcohol campaigns reported the strongest results?
Of five holiday cases, Bacardi's Scream Halloween reported the largest sales gain at 130 percent over the prior year, and Lagavulin's New Year's Eve video reported the largest reach at 525 million impressions. All results below are brand or award-entry figures, not independent audits, and each brand measured against its own baseline in its own market, so treat cross-case comparisons loosely.
| Campaign | Brand | Holiday and timing | Reported result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say it without saying it | Johnnie Walker Blue Label | Christmas 2010 | Blue Label sales up more than 40 percent |
| Ugly sweater wrap | SKYY Vodka | November 2015 to January 2016 | Sales up 2.8 percent (unflavored) and 6 percent (flavored); 173 million impressions |
| New Year's Eve | Lagavulin | December 2016 | 525 million impressions; brand sales up 22 percent |
| Scream Halloween | Bacardi Japan | October 2012 | Sales up 130 percent on the prior year; awareness 52.3 to 66.0 percent |
| Baileys x Tim Hortons | Baileys Canada | November to December 2023 | 805 million impressions; ad awareness 17.1 to 25.7 percent |
Johnnie Walker "Say it without saying it" (2010)
Johnnie Walker's 2010 holiday campaign lifted Blue Label sales by more than 40 percent, according to the Communication Arts project page. The idea came from an insight that many men struggle to say what they feel to other men, so films showed men handing over a bottle in place of the words. Online, a banner called the Gift Translator ran on holiday gift guides and returned a joke reading of whatever gift a user typed in, drawing on 3,000 keyword entries and more than 70 unique responses, built in four weeks. Thirty-three percent of users who engaged with the banner entered a gift, and BBH New York was the agency credited. The lesson: the campaign sold a gifting problem, not a whisky, and gift-guide placement put the answer next to the moment a shopper was stuck.
SKYY Vodka ugly sweater wrap (2015)
SKYY Vodka's holiday campaign raised unflavored vodka sales 2.8 percent and flavored sales 6 percent, and earned more than 173 million impressions, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America case study. It ran from November 2015 to January 2016 in 23 U.S. markets, wrapping the blue bottle in a limited-edition ugly sweater and carrying the sweater across buses, bulletins, wallscapes and storefronts for adults aged 21 to 34. SKYY set goals in advance (a 1 percent sales lift and 100 million or more impressions), and the case study reports about $4.5 million in spend. The lesson: borrow a holiday object people already wear and talk about, then repeat it in every format so the budget builds one recognizable image.
Lagavulin "New Year's Eve" (2016)
Lagavulin's 2016 video generated more than 525 million impressions and a 22 percent rise in December 2016 brand sales, according to the campaign's Cannes Lions entry. Actor Nick Offerman fronts the "My Tales of Whisky" series with Diageo; after a 45-minute "Yule Log" video in December 2015, he returned with an hour of silent whisky sipping as a replacement for the Times Square countdown. The video earned more than 400 media and social placements, and a December 2016 Google and YouTube study put consumer consideration at 23 percent against a spirits average of 17 percent. Hunter Public Relations is credited in the entry. The lesson: anchor a PR campaign to a holiday television habit people already share, then give the coverage a purchase link.
Bacardi "Scream Halloween" (2012)
Bacardi's Scream Halloween event in Japan reported sales 130 percent above the prior year during the campaign period, and awareness rising from 52.3 percent to 66.0 percent, according to its Cannes Lions entry. Dentsu Tokyo ran it in October 2012 on the insight that drinkers get louder as they drink, so the festival had people scream as loudly as they could. The result applies to one market and only the campaign period. The lesson: match what people do with your product to what they already do on the holiday.
Baileys x Tim Hortons (2023)
Baileys and Tim Hortons put a Baileys-flavored, non-alcoholic menu in Canadian Tim Hortons restaurants from November 13, 2023, and the campaign reported 805,007,050 impressions, according to its Cannes Lions entry. The launch date was reported by Verdict Foodservice, and YouGov BrandIndex measured Baileys' ad awareness in Canada rising from 17.1 percent to 25.7 percent. The lesson: partner where holiday traffic already goes, and use a non-alcoholic format to reach people who are not drinking that day.
What do the best alcohol campaigns have in common?
The campaigns on this list each tied a spirit or beer to a person or an idea that audiences could repeat, whether a fictional adventurer, a social experiment, a founder's story or a holiday ritual.
| Approach | Campaigns on this list | What the audience sees |
|---|---|---|
| A character | Dos Equis, 2007 and 2026 | A figure who stands for a way of living |
| An idea with a point of view | Heineken Worlds Apart | Strangers with different views finding common ground |
| A founder who owns the brand | Casamigos, Aviation | A named person with a stake in the product |
| A holiday ritual | Johnnie Walker, SKYY, Lagavulin, Bacardi, Baileys | A product fastened to a gift, a sweater, a countdown, a scream or a coffee run |
The risk is that two of the main five results are sale prices, not marketing returns, and one is a 2026 bet with no published outcome. None of the holiday cases relied on a discount, which matters because alcohol discounting rules differ by state. Alcohol advertising is also regulated, so claims, audiences and creator disclosures should go through counsel before launch.
How can alcohol brands copy these campaigns?
Alcohol brands can copy these campaigns by choosing one repeatable idea, such as a character, a point of view, a founder story or a holiday ritual, and keeping it consistent across channels.
- Create a character or phrase that people can repeat, as Dos Equis did with "stay thirsty, my friends."
- Build a film around people and an idea, with the product in the background, as Heineken did with Worlds Apart.
- Tell a founder's reason for starting the brand, as Casamigos did.
- Keep creative work close to the owner when the owner has a point of view, as Reynolds did with Aviation.
- For the holidays, pick one ritual your product already fits, write two or three numeric goals as SKYY did, and book gift-guide and retailer placements by late October.
- Record sales and volume before launch, so any result can be stated as a change and not a total, and have counsel review claims, age-gating and state rules.
Where can you find more alcohol marketing guides?
Alcohol marketing overlaps with spirits brand work and tequila launches, so several 5W pages sit close to this one. See 5W's alcohol marketing and PR practice, the 1800 Tequila case study, the guide to tequila PR and category growth and the guide to non-alcoholic wine marketing.
For campaign results across other industries, see the top 25 PR campaigns ranked by results, and for another category with strong brand stories, the best toy marketing campaigns.
Where can you find more best marketing campaign guides?
5W publishes a best-campaigns guide for each industry, with the result each campaign reported. Browse the guides to the best toy marketing campaigns, best supplement marketing campaigns, best restaurant marketing campaigns, best beauty marketing campaigns and best home goods marketing campaigns.
More industries: the best entertainment and sports marketing campaigns, best pet marketing campaigns, best HR tech marketing campaigns, best franchise marketing campaigns, best fintech marketing campaigns and best B2B marketing campaigns. All of them sit in the 5W blog.
Frequently asked questions
Which alcohol campaign reported the biggest result?
Casamigos reported the largest sale price, up to $1 billion from Diageo in 2017, according to Bloomberg. That is the value of the brand, not a measure of the marketing alone.
Which alcohol campaign ran the longest?
The Dos Equis Most Interesting Man campaign launched in 2007 and was off the air for nearly a decade before it returned in January 2026, according to CNN and American Craft Beer.
Are the alcohol campaign results verified?
No. The figures come from agency releases, awards entries, company statements and press reports. Heineken's UK sales figure comes from the agency's own case film, so treat each number as reported.
Why does Dos Equis appear twice on this list?
The original campaign and the 2026 revival are separate tests. The first has published growth figures, and the second is a bet on bringing an old character back as sales fall.
Can a smaller alcohol brand copy a celebrity founder model?
A smaller brand can copy the logic by putting a founder with a genuine story at the center of marketing. It cannot copy the reach of a film star, so the story needs to be specific and true.
Which holiday alcohol campaign reported the biggest sales gain?
Of the five holiday cases, Bacardi's Scream Halloween reported the largest, at 130 percent over the prior year in Japan. The comparison is loose because each brand used a different baseline and period.
When should alcohol brands start holiday marketing?
The holiday examples launched in early to mid November at the latest. Baileys and Tim Hortons began November 13, Lagavulin teased its New Year's Eve video on November 30, and SKYY ran from November through January.
Do holiday alcohol campaigns need a large budget?
No. SKYY reported about $4.5 million in spend, while Johnnie Walker's Gift Translator banner was built in four weeks. The common factor was a tight idea, not a large budget.
