New 1800 Tequila Spot Has Me Yearning for Ray Liotta and Michael Imperioli

I’m not a professional ad critic. There, that’s the disclaimer.

Here’s what brought me here today. Last week, I read that 1800 Tequila was debuting work from its new agency partner. I made a note to take a look this morning and, perhaps, blog about it. Why had I already committed to penning something? Because I remembered and loved past work from this brand. 1800 was a classic challenger. And, back in the day (a decade or so ago), they found ways to break through the clutter that I still remember today.

Their ads leveraged guys I loved and thought were badass and “authentic,” before those words got bludgeoned to death by marketers like me. The brand developed a distinct persona. Much of that had to do with consistency, in both strategy and style. Two specific efforts remained etched in my memory. The first was this longer format film featuring Ray Liotta.

I remember loving it then, and I still think it’s good and relevant all these years later. Obviously, Liotta has on-screen power. The voiceover, the cinematography, the script, it all comes together and works. In retrospect, maybe a touch cheesy, but inherently memorable.

Another throwback, featuring Michael Imperioli, similarly sticks in my mind, even if for very different reasons. In many ways, it was the stark opposite of the Liotta spot. Short. Single shot. No slow music, no poetic cadence. Some might even call it gimmicky. But, hey, when you’re a challenger brand with a “shot top,” this works quite nicely.

Fifteen seconds. Feature focused. Humorous. A direct, ahem, shot at the leader in the category. Perfectly played for 2009 and where 1800 was in its journey.

Fast forward a decade or so, and we circle back to the opening of this post. I scrolled through the AdAge story and found my way to the debut commercial for 1800 Tequila from its new agency.

I get it. It’s 2020. 1800 Tequila is no longer the same challenger brand it was in 2009 with the shot top. They cracked the 1M case mark last year. And, as the tequila category continues to grow, they are going after a more sophisticated, educated and “liquid-savvy” consumer. That consumer cares, according to all the data, about “origin stories,” “ingredients” and “authenticity.” I’m sure they also say they want “craftsmanship” and that “taste” is paramount. Well, roll all those up, and you get this spot.

There’s not much that feels distinct to the brand or even to the category. TBH, it feels like you could nsert any tequila brand in here, aside from the “world’s most awarded” claim.

I can tell you one thing. This one is not going to remain in my mind much longer that today. Enough said.