Each year, nominees at the Oscars are treated to an incredible gift bag full of freebies that Forbes values at $100,000. These bags are bursting with goods and services provided by companies hoping a Hollywood A-lister will mention them in an interview or, dare to dream, feature their product in a selfie on Instagram. That kind of (carefully planned and cultivated) organic exposure can reach millions of interested consumers, spreading the company’s name and message to a huge audience. But our partners at Don Julio know a better way to get their product on the glitterati’s lips: pour them a drink at an exclusive Oscar party and let the product speak for itself.
The Don Julio was front and center at the Governor’s Ball, the official Oscars after party. This year, Don Julio sponsored the historic event, and World Class champion mixologist Charles Joly created a singular cocktail experience for partygoers with his new creation, “The Protagonist,” according to a statement from Diageo before the event. The cocktail is deceptively complex and, like a good film, holds up on repeated viewings.
THE PROTAGONIST
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Don Julio Tequila Blanco
.5 oz Pimm’s Original
.75 oz fresh lemon juice
.25 oz simple syrup
2 oz tonic water
Garnish: sliced cucumber and borage flowers
Preparation:
Combine Don Julio, Pimm’s, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Gently shake and roll in the tonic water. Pour over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Wrap thin cucumber slice around inside of glass and top with borage flowers.
Before the event, Joly and his team planned to prep 5,000 servings of his creation for the Governor’s Ball, as the party was expecting a cast of thousands.
In the lead up to the big night, the
Gersh agency and Don Julio 1942 hosted a star-studded pre-party at the Chateau Marmont’s penthouse. Specialty cocktails were flowing as photographers snapped photos of Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell, who both went on to take home Oscars, nominee Richard Jenkins and a cavalcade of guests including Margot Robbie, Angela Bassett, Tiffany Haddish, Elizabeth Olsen, Adam Driver, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Elizabeth Perkins and Leslie Bibb, according to
The Hollywood Reporter. Janney even took home a specially engraved bottle of 1942 with the message “The Oscar goes to...Allison Janney!” (Host Jimmy Kimmel was also awarded a special
crystal-encrusted bottle of Don Julio 1942 later, at his own after party.)
It remains to be seen how all this publicity and proximity to celebrity will move the needle for Don Julio Tequila, but it delivers one more tool for savvy businesses to capitalize on with consumers. Call your Breakthru sales consultant to get your business ready to make the most of Don Julio’s guest-starring role, and learn more about the entire portfolio of Don Julio tequilas.