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ABOUT CROSBY
Based in New York City, CROSBY is a multidisciplinary brand studio of writers, strategists, and designers on a mission to build brands that are planet and people-forward. They partner with tomorrow’s leading companies to build exciting brand worlds-- like 818. Here's the story behind how they launched 818 in the buzziest way possible...
PRE-LAUNCH BUZZ - Leaning into the whims of the internet
As we dived into building a vibrant brand world celebrating a new occasion for tequila, we strategized around a splashy launch that would get people talking about the brand through a series of launch teases.
It all started when Tiktoker @hfazz cracked the code by spotting a mysterious bottle labeled "818 Añejo Tequila" in the background of 818 founder, Kendall Jenner’s Instagram photo. The TikToker, @hfazz , researched tequila but discovered that it did not yet exist in the market! She created viral videos pontificating on who was behind 818.
https://www.tiktok.com/@hfazzz/video/6920676977565388033
To stoke the fires of internet gossip, we created the 818 Instagram account and followed the one TikToker @hfazzz to drop a clue that she was indeed on to something. @hfazz got the nudge she needed when Kendall liked her post from her own TikTok account, which sent the internet and media outlets abuzz.
PRE LAUNCH + LAUNCH
We continued with the traction by collaging images of Kendall Jenner’s “art room” behind the 818 logo to lend itself to a tease-worthy keyhole structure, escalating the online chatter.
BRAND IDENTITY
We wanted Kendall’s brand to stand apart from the male-dominated, party-oriented tequila category. We set out to create a next-generation tequila, championing three brand pillars - Magical, Crafted, and Spirited - that positioned community and nature at the center of our brand storytelling.
Our messaging celebrated this premise, with a vintage take-out inspired lock-up “Come Again Soon” and a rallying tagline – Distilled for Spirited Encounters – that imagined a new occasion for tequila drinking: the casual magic arising from intimate drinking with friends.
Our visual world illuminated this vision - earthy, bohemian, and fresh - with a mix of vibrant colors, vintage print-inspired typography, and film grained photography that felt both nostalgic and contemporary.
IMPACT INITIATIVES
Beyond tequila, 818 also wanted to have a positive impact on the people and land where Tequila is produced, Jalisco, Mexico. We partnered with 818 to concept the initiative and help tell the story through a merch launch and social content production.
818 collaborated with SACRED to use the waste generated from the production of their tequila as building material for local community infrastructure projects, which is helping to construct a local library and community center in Zapotitlán de Vadillo, Mexico.
Visually, the tequila tableau has long looked like this: nightclubs, sex appeal, shot glasses, exclusivity, blurriness. We flipped the script on how (and where) tequila is best enjoyed, with a complete re-imagining that focused on intentional small gatherings, surrealist surroundings, and other worldly/ next-generation energy – brought to life in a photo and video shoot that aimed to generate brand awareness across a 360 campaign.
