Tequila Confessions from Partida

In our experience, just about everybody has a tequila story. Some might remember too much Cuervo one night in college. Others might have gone to a bar in Mexico and had a random stranger who may or may not work there unexpectedly clamp off your nose and pour low-grade tequila in your mouth (we know from experience these gentlemen expect a tip). Whatever the story is, it usually ends up with the person communing at the porcelain confessional (pictured).

The folks at Partida tequila have come up with a new way to capture all these stories, and have put together a series of videos called Tequila Confessions. There are only a few videos right now, but they're looking for new stories, so you can get in touch with them about the time you tried to plow through a bottle of Sauza in a sitting. The initial videos consist of "man on the street" interviews, but they're looking to expand to "Bartender Confessions" as well.

Watch the videos at Tequila Confessions; see the full press release below.

Partida Tequila Launches ‘True Spirit of Tequila’ Marketing Campaign Integrating Traditional Print Ads, Viral Video, Podcasts and Blogging

October 16, 2007, NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Partida Tequila founder and chairman Gary Shansby announced today the launch of an innovative marketing campaign that integrates viral videos, podcasts, a re-designed website (www.partidatequila.com), bartender events, blogging, sweepstakes and online public relations with traditional trade & print advertising.

Mr. Shansby said, “This is an exciting campaign that will create great brand interaction in fun and exciting ways while staying true to Partida’s goal of introducing America’s spirits drinkers to authentic, premium tequila.”

The viral video series, ‘Tequila Confessions’ (www.tequilaconfessions.com), captures stories of people’s first tequila experiences in candid, street-intercept interviews. After the ‘confession,’ interview subjects are led through a tasting of premium Partida Tequila to experience ‘the true spirit of tequila.’ “The stories are invariably hilarious and often embarrassing without crossing the line,” said filmmaker Dusan Sekulovic who is shooting the series. Sekulovic shot the first series of videos in New York. Partida will do a casting call in cities around the country to continue the series, as well as expand the concept to include ‘Bartender Confessions.’

“Today’s marketing environment is all about engaging the consumer in an interactive environment and growing a brand organically,” said Mr. Shansby who has spent his career developing and marketing more than 50 household consumer brands such as Famous Amos Cookies, Mauna Loa Macadamias, La Victoria Mexican Foods, MetRx, Terra Chips, Voss Water, Pureology Hair Care Products, Vitamin Water, and Shaklee Nutritional Products. “There’s not much room for second-guessing – you have to move fast and be willing to take chances.”

Another element of the ‘True Spirit’ campaign, hosted on the Partida website, is ‘Tequila Re-Education.’ Through quizzes and a sweepstakes, Partida encourages visitors to rethink their preconceived notions of tequila. The grand prize for the sweepstakes, which will be heavily advertised online, is a trip to experience the ‘True Spirit of Mexico, brought to you by the True Spirit of Tequila.’

The Tequila Re-Education section of the website also hosts ‘On the Tequila Trail,’ a video series produced by the Culinary Media Network and distributed by the PodShow webcasting channel (www.podshow.com). The series includes an episode shot in Amatitan, Mexico, the birthplace of tequila and the home of Partida, a tequila tasting led by noted expert Julio Bermejo and an episode on tequila cocktails shot at the famous Tommy’s Tequila Bar in San Francisco. Mark Tafoya, executive producer of the series, said, “We’ve captured the ‘true spirit of tequila’ in a way that’s fun and informative.”

The final episode in the ‘On the Tequila Trail’ series was shot on October 8th at Tequila Immersion Day, an innovative event where 45 bartenders from around the country gathered in Las Vegas for a one-day course in tequila education. Partida Tequila teamed up with BAR (Beverage Alcohol Resource at www.beveragealcoholresource.com) — a group of America’s leading spirits experts including Paul Pacult, Dale DeGroff, Dave Wondrich and Steve Olson — to offer the course. “Tequila Immersion Day is one more way we’re working to educate our key audiences on premium tequila and tequila cocktails,” said Mr. Shansby.

Partida Tequila’s agency, Manhattan-based Colangelo & Partners Public Relations, handled the campaign.