Pernod Ricard backs UK Tequila push with six-figure campaign

Olmeca Altos, the 100% agave Tequila from Pernod Ricard UK, is ramping up its presence this summer with a six-figure campaign across digital, social and key London sites, as it looks to capitalise on the UK’s growing thirst for Tequila. Altos’ renewed campaign arrives at a time when UK interest in Tequila is showing no signs of slowing. While mezcal and celebrity-fronted launches have soaked up headlines, growth in 100% agave Tequila has been quietly accelerating, especially in retail. According to Pernod Ricard UK, Altos is currently the top-selling 100% agave Tequila in UK grocery stores, up 34.4% in value and outpacing overall category growth. In a climate where at-home cocktail making remains strong, the brand has also expanded its ready-to-serve range, now offering both Lime and Strawberry Margaritas to help consumers mix bar-quality drinks with minimal effort.

‘Alan the Bartender’ returns to hero the Margarita

The brand’s global ‘Alan’ campaign, first introduced last year and built around a fictional but affable bartender, will reappear this June and July across a media mix that includes social, digital, BVOD and a splashy out-of-home buy in London. Key sites include the London Underground, roadside digital billboards and a major takeover in Dalston. “Following our first outing with Alan and this campaign last year, we’ve taken on board everything that was a huge success and scaled up with the added element of out of home,” said Josh McCarthy, brand director for Pernod Ricard UK. “We’ve been laser-focused on our hero cocktail, the Margarita, and it’s been working really well for us.” With the Margarita consistently ranking in the UK’s top ten cocktails and the Paloma rising in prominence, the campaign leans into both serves to build stronger drink associations with Altos.

An anti-celebrity Tequila with bartender roots

In contrast to Tequila brands backed by pop stars and actors, Altos has long traded on its bartender pedigree and traditional production ethos. Co-founded by industry veterans Henry Besant and Dre Masso in partnership with Maestro Tequilero Jesús Hernandez, the brand champions classic methods, slow-cooking agave in brick ovens and using the traditional tahona stone for crushing. “Altos is continuing to lead a Tequila revolution and shift perceptions of the category,” the company states, “with its bartender-built brand that prioritises authenticity, education and craft over celebrity hype.” The decision to focus on out-of-home spend in London is no accident. The capital remains the UK’s top Tequila-drinking city, with a flourishing bar scene and increasingly sophisticated consumer palate. Whether sipping a Paloma in Soho or mixing a Margarita at home, Londoners are at the heart of Tequila’s UK transformation from party spirit to craft cocktail staple. Pernod Ricard’s investment suggests it believes there’s room to grow that trend further, especially with a brand that prides itself on being built for the backbar first.