Aperol is beloved in Italy — light, sparkling, joyfully orange. But when the brand tried to enter the U.S. market, that joy got lost in translation.
THE CATEGORY WAS CONFUSING.
CONSUMERS DIDN’T UNDERSTAND (OR CARE) WHAT AN “APERITIF” WAS.
Bartenders reached for better-known wines and spirits. Consumers weren’t sure what to do with it. And early attempts from to prosecco partnerships to off-premise promotions fizzled fast.
The product was strong, but the moment for it just didn’t exist.
At the same time, a cultural shift was underway. Millennials were moving away from formal wine rituals and leaning into something more relaxed and social.
LEISURE WASN’T A LUXURY ANYMORE —
IT WAS A LIFESTYLE.
Think rooftop hangs, long lunches, golden-hour get-togethers. The moment was right for something light, different and real — a drink that looked as good as it felt.
By recognizing that Aperol wouldn’t fit in as a replacement for an existing beverage, we uncovered something much bigger.
This joy-drenched drink could fulfill consumers’ desires to let go, feel good and breathe for a moment.
WE CREATED A NEW OCCASION ALL ITS OWN:
THE SPRITZ BREAK.
WE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS.
From on-premise activations with Aperol carts and playful signage, to off-premise kits that sparked curiosity in-store, to social content and influencer seeding that made the Spritz feel like the drink of the moment.
Every channel was focused like a ray of sunshine on one idea:
SUMMERTIME = SPRITZ BREAK TIME.
More than a marketing line, Spritz Break became a cultural invitation — a modern ritual wrapped in sunlight. It gave the brand an ownable occasion to show up, and consumers a reason to pause and pour.
In a market that had once struggled to understand the drink, it now felt like it had always belonged.
WE DIDN’T JUST INTRODUCE APEROL
TO AMERICA.
WE GAVE AMERICA A REASON TO SPRITZ.
Aperol caught on like wildfire, but finding signal in the sales numbers was challenging — which tactics were contributing most to incrementality?
We used advanced analytics to uncover that the biggest impact, $1.8M INCREMENTAL REVENUE,
came from off-premise locations that hosted their first Aperol event.
"All we are doing is adding fuel to the existing fire, making sure we are in the right places at the right times for people to become educated in this contagious cocktail."
45% SALES INCREASE
SINCE THE PREVIOUS SUMMER
2.5X AWARENESS
WITH TARGET CONSUMER IN 2 YEARS
THE
FASTEST GROWING
LIQUOR IN THE U.S.
NAMED
DRINK OF THE SUMMER
BY THE NEW YORK TIMES
