Simple Ingredients, Bold Message PATRÓN Tequila has launched a new advertising campaign centered on a straightforward message: its tequila contains only 100% Weber Blue Agave, water, and yeast—and nothing else. The campaign arrives as consumer scrutiny of ingredient transparency intensifies. A YouGov survey found that 61% of Americans say producers should provide greater transparency about ingredients and sourcing. Among tequila drinkers specifically, research commissioned by PATRÓN found that 78% would prefer a tequila taste over one that has been artificially improved, and 88% said they would consider switching brands if they learned their tequila contained undisclosed additives.

Industry Standard Allows Hidden Additives The tequila industry currently permits additives up to 1% of product weight in 100% Weber Blue Agave aged tequilas without requiring disclosure on labels or in marketing materials. This means consumers may unknowingly purchase tequila containing glycerin, oak extract, sugar-based syrup, or caramel coloring. "Most people would never guess that their tequila might contain glycerin, oak extract, sugar-based syrup, or caramel coloring," said Roberto Ramirez-Laverde, Global Senior Vice President at PATRÓN Tequila. "At PATRÓN, we have used the same three ingredients since 1989 – 100% Weber Blue Agave, water, and yeast– and we believe people deserve to know what is in their glass. We hope our latest advertising campaign continues to ignite a broader conversation about ingredient transparency across the category."

## Creative Rollout Across Major Markets Developed with advertising agency BBH USA, the campaign began rolling out in July with interactive billboards, murals, and digital kiosks across eight major U.S. markets: New York City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Austin, and San Francisco. The creative executions employ playful, subversive concepts: - Misspelled: Deliberately misspelled text reads "No added flvaor. No added cloor. No added swetness," playing on the human brain's ability to understand meaning despite errors.
- Ways of Saying: Ads invert what won't be found in PATRÓN using unwieldy phrases like "100% caramel-coloring-well-actually-any-kind-of-coloring-free" tequila.
- Guess Which Tequila: Obscured bottles show only the brand's silhouette, directing drinkers to guess-which-tequila.com to reveal the bottle alongside details on its three ingredients. In New York City, the brand has commandeered the shuttle between Grand Central and Times Square, with two 3-D billboards—one at 7th Avenue and 33rd Street in Manhattan and another on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.

Tales of the Cocktail Activation The campaign builds on a pop-up experience at Tales of the Cocktail in July called the PATRÓN 100% Secret-Ingredient-Free Cocktail Parlor & Creamery. Guests sampled cocktails and small-batch ice cream named after ingredients not found in PATRÓN, including "100% (No Added) Artificial Sweeteners" (Roasted Strawberry Creole Cheese) and "No Coloring, Just Caramel" (Salted Caramel). Bartenders poured cocktails including the Nothing to Hide Highball and the No Asterisks Paloma. "This campaign turns a creative challenge into some of our most original storytelling yet," said Laila Mignoni, VP of Global Communications at PATRÓN Tequila. "Each of these concepts in the campaign hands the audience a puzzle: a typo, a workaround, a hidden bottle. It lets them arrive at the truth on their own, and the truth is a simple one: PATRÓN is a tequila made with just three ingredients and nothing else."

Why It Matters

As premium spirits consumers increasingly scrutinize ingredient lists and production claims, transparency has become a competitive differentiator. PATRÓN's campaign capitalizes on consumer demand for clarity while positioning its labor-intensive, handcrafted production process—exclusive to the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico—as the reason it needs no additives. The brand plans to extend the campaign into 2027.

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Written by FBM Publications Editors