• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, February 1, 2008

With the USA-Mexico soccer match coming up on Wednesday, now is the time to launch a campaign for tequila, no? That's exactly what Jose Cuervo Tradicional is doing, with new TV spots centered on the Mexican culture of "social responsibility."

The message will be carried by three-time World Cup participant Alberto Garcia Aspe, who has signed on as the brand's spokesperson, to the multi-generational Mexican consumer.

The first phase of the launch coincides with the USA-Mexico match taking place in Houston's Reliant Stadium. Cuervo Tradicional spots which will be broadcast by Fox Sports en Español, Galavision, Azteca America, ESPN Deportes and the Discovery Network. Recently, these same Jose Cuervo Tradicional social responsibility spots were the first spirits advertising permitted by the Spanish-language cable channel Galavision and national cable giant ESPN, breaking new ground for the spirits industry.

Cuervo's multifaceted marketing strategy is fully integrated and incorporates an important investment in television combined with print materials, interactive, point of sale, events, and experiential marketing programs. The campaign also includes an aggressive public relations program and radio spots scheduled to air on the leading radio stations in Texas, California, Illinois and Colorado throughout the year.

Toby Whitmoyer, brand director for the Cuervo portfolio at Diageo, tells Marketing Daily that the emphasis on social responsibility came about because the brand wanted a unique approach. "We wanted to show this understanding that social responsibility is intrinsic to the Mexican-American experience and way of life."

Whitmoyer describes social responsibility as a Mexican trait portrayed by family, hard work, community and the responsible consumption of alcohol. "They are linked together and we, as a beverage alcohol firm, want to promote the fact that it's all wrapped up," he says.

The campaign's slogan, "Mexico, You Always Have It On," refers to the fact that one always wears one's culture, says the brand director, and it's a metaphorical device to refer to the team's jersey.

He called the campaign the most significant created by Jose Cuervo and its agency, Vidal Partnership, based in New York. Without specifying a number, he said the brand's marketing budget had gone up. For the first 10 months of 2007, Jose Cuervo spent $16.5 million on advertising, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Cuervo Tradicional will sponsor the Mexican National Soccer Team at least through the World Cup in 2010.

"Jose Cuervo Tradicional is the number one super premium tequila in Mexico, and I like to say, 'One hundred million Mexicans can't be wrong,'" says Whitmoyer. "We are the experts in the most demanding market in the world. We'd like to replicate that success in the U.S."