Lewis Hamilton crossed the line first at Silverstone in July. The drink being poured in his box at the finish line had no alcohol in it.
The background
Lewis Hamilton is perhaps one of the biggest names in sports – an icon if you will. So, the Mangrove team knew that when it came to marketing Hamilton’s new, alcohol-free spirit, Almave, (launching its latest SKU) the activity had to be nothing less than iconic.
The first Almave SKU to hit the market was Almave Ambar, which launched in Winter 2023. The second SKU to come to market, just in time for the British Grand Prix, is Almave Blanco. Both spirits capture true agave flavours, thanks to a unique process crafted by the Mexican masters of agave spirits, Casa Lumbre.
Like with any new brand, Mangrove needed to raise awareness of Almave, make it memorable – and where better to do that than Hamilton’s home turf of Silverstone.
The concept
Hosting a brand-new spirit activation at Silverstone isn’t something that had been done before. But the Mangrove team, with their can-do attitude knew that this was an incredible opportunity for all parties involved.
Knowing that Hamilton’s most loyal fanbase would be there in abundance, fueled by the adrenaline of the races, the luxury of the setting – it was an ideal place to serve up Almave and create great memories associated with the spirit.
In the run up to the event, the team delivered The Almave Circuit, a route of 11 bars across London that featured Almave cocktails on their menu, the week before the Grand Prix. As well as the circuit, Iván Saldaña, the brains behind Casa Lumbre and pioneer of Mexican spirits hosted a Masterclass that was well-attended by the on-trade, and seeded the upcoming activation in Silverstone.
At the Grand Prix itself, cocktails were designed with both the Ambar and Blanco spirits and served up across Silverstone’s bars and in Hamilton’s own box at the finish line.
And finally, to support all of the awareness they were raising amongst consumers, Mangrove invested in a Direct-to-Consumer site to enable UK customers and fans to buy their own bottle, direct from the brand.
The finer detail
The entire activation was arranged at short notice, pending approvals but the well-oiled machine that is the Mangrove marketing team, pulled it off without a hitch. That’s something the Mangrove team are known for – a can-do attitude to make magical things happen, no matter how complex. Through excellent partnership working with all parties involved, and great camaraderie between the team, everyone chipped in to get everything together in time for the launch.
The Circuit
Almave’s social media following has really gained pace since the first launch in Winter 2023. The Circuit wasn’t only a great way to get more liquid on lips of London agave-lovers, but also a way to generate some exceptional content for the brand. Professional photography was captured at every venue across the circuit, and drinkers encouraged to snap, film and post their own content tagging the brand, strengthening collaboration between brand and consumer. Participating venues were well-matched to the Almave brand, and included:
- Brat Climpsons Arch
- Hacha (Dalston & Brixton sites)
- Stereo Covent Garden
- Cavita
- Kwant Mayfair
- Mezcalito (Chelsea & Brompton sites)
- 1910 (Balham & Parsons Green sites)
- The Ned
Iván Saldaña Masterclass
Expert, no – LEGEND in Agave spirits (and co-founder of Casa Lumbre spirits, who helped create Almave) Iván Saldaña hosted the masterclass at London’s laid-back Mexican cantina, Cavita. On-trade partners, bartenders, and sober-curious consumers attended and enjoyed an immersive educational experience, fueled with authentic Mexican flavours, sights, sounds, and some interesting tit-bits from the master himself.
The British Grand Prix
Tickets for Lewis Hamilton’s box were secured and Mangrove invited a mix of trade partners to enjoy the experience, including national bar chains and smaller independents who were early adopters of Almave. In the box, they joined guests from Hamilton’s charity Plus44, which works with children all over the world to improve diversity and inclusion in STEM subjects – truly inspirational work that gave visitors more of an idea about the man behind the brand. For all in attendance within Lewis’ box, it was a once in a lifetime experience – made all the sweeter when Lewis himself crossed the all-important finish line first!
The results
The sound of the engines, the smell of the rubber, the luxurious feel of the behind-the-track bars and boxes created outstanding memories that everyone who sipped an Almave cocktail will never forget. And perhaps each year they watch the Grand Prix they’ll be thirsty for a sip of Almave. The crowning moment of the day was Lewis Hamilton winning the British Grand Prix.
Tangible results from the activation included an uptick in sales, increased following for Almave, and the creation of a brand new Direct to Consumer website, to fulfill UK customer orders – many of whom were reached by the campaign.
Setting up a brand-new ecommerce site for UK consumers, that mirrors the global site, is no mean feat. As it stands – it was indeed a first for Mangrove. As such, the Mangrove team worked with specialist consultant Andrew Rogers to quickly turn around the site uk.almave.com. This has allowed the team to deliver a tactical retargeting campaign, increasing consumer touchpoints and giving them a place to engage with the brand in a more meaningful way, before they buy.
What’s next?
It was Lewis Hamilton himself who said,
I’ve accomplished more than I ever dreamed. But I’m hungry for more.”
So, what’s next for a brand that’s already stolen the limelight at the world’s most iconic sporting event? Well, the team have well and truly got the brand noticed so now it’s time to be tactical.
To continue driving awareness on social media (and create compelling content to serve to Almave’s existing 130k followers), Mangrove plans to hand-pick influential people and immerse them in a Mexican experience; food, conversation, content – all fueled by Almave.
Then it’s about using the new found awareness to grow more relationships with consumers, the on-trade and the off-trade. With Dry January on the horizon, there’s time to hone the D2C offer and drive home the message that Almave really does offer an authentic agave experience, without the alcohol.
