Campari on Monday launched the latest iteration of its “Stay Bitter” campaign, according to details shared with Marketing Dive. The effort is timed to Negroni Week, which takes place Sept. 21-27, and celebrates the best-selling classic cocktail in the world, per Drinks International data shared by the brand.
A hero spot features actor Alan Cumming as he reads “Bitter” magazine and comes across an updated version of a classic Campari print ad from the 1970s that proclaims, “9 out of every 10,000 Americans prefer a Campari Negroni.” He then prepares a Negroni and nods to “The Traitors,” the Peacock reality competition series that he hosts, noting that a Negroni without Campari is a “traitor” and “should be treated as such.” The campaign, with agency M Booth on creative and Palette Group on production, will run across social channels.
The original Campari print ad inverted the crowd-pleasing claims about “9 in 10” consumers to help establish the aperitif as the preferred choice of an exclusive set of consumers with refined tastes. Updating the ad for a new audience comes as marketers continue to look to past campaigns for inspiration.
“Consumers — young consumers, millennials, Gen Z, everyone — are feeling this nostalgia. They want to go back and think about what was cool back in the day, and Campari’s been around for so long. We're taking that inspiration and bringing it to the world and to life in the U.S. in a more culturally relevant way,” said Allison Varone, head of marketing at Campari America.
The campaign builds on a previous “Stay Bitter” campaign that featured actress Sarah Michelle Gellar and included a capsule collection. The latest iteration arrives just days after the debut of “The Traitors: New Blood.”
“[Cumming] has this sophistication and this unapologetic boldness that is exactly what Campari is, as well. We think bringing a talent into the fold contextualizes and modernizes the idea of a historic brand like Campari,” Varone said.
The campaign introduces The Bitter Nine, a group that includes Cumming and a diverse roster of tastemakers who don’t shy away from boldness and will be featured in creator-led content. The group includes chef Jonah Reider, fashion figure Jalil Johnson, Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Nikki Ogunnaike, creator Angel Sipilia, DJ Jimmy Gia Huy, mixologist Julie Reiner and the owners of the Coming Soon NY boutique, Fabiana Faria and Helena Barquet.
The rollout is timed to Negroni Week, an annual, global celebration of the cocktail which is now in its fourteenth year. Campari is partnering with beverage publisher Imbibe and will continue to support community-led initiative Slow Food and its Negroni Week Fund, which supports educational scholarships and community-based projects. In addition, it continues to operate Campari Academy, which provides thought leadership and cocktail strategy development to support bartenders and on-premise operators.
Consumers in select U.S. markets can also submit a receipt for a Campari Negroni and receive up to $15 back from the brand. Covering drink expenses has become a de rigueur way for alcoholic beverage brands to engage with consumers. Stella Artois and Jameson have recently comped the cost of alcohol for fans of the World Cup and NFL, respectively.
Campari is the namesake spirit of the Campari Group, which operates a portfolio that includes Aperol, Espolòn, Wild Turkey, Appleton Estate, Courvoisier and Grand Marnier. The company has benefited from consumer interest in spritz cocktails, turning Aperol into a $900 million brand and launching the fruiter Sarti in the U.S. this month.
“Bitter is having its moment, flavor is having its moment, and with our portfolio, and Campari being on the more bitter side of that portfolio, we're seeing some really great adoption from consumers,” Varone said.
