How Tecate Stirred Pride on the High Seas

The audacious campaign skewering Trump's Gulf of Mexico name change won 4 Grand Clios

Most brands fear wading into politics. Tecate, on the other hand, said hold-my-beer and dove headfirst through Trumpism’s murky depths.

Some might recall that last year, POTUS proclaimed that the Gulf of Mexico would be known as the “Gulf of America.” Tecate and LePub in Mexico City leveraged the move for a high-profile campaign brimming with national pride.

The Mexican brew created a special edition “Tecate Light: With Salt from the Gulf of Mexico,” and sailed a floating bar in that very body of water.

Pointedly christened the “Gulf of Mexico,” the vessel’s name displayed on Google Maps as a business pin despite the search giant acquiescing to Trump’s name-change edict.

Google actually removed the pin, but Tecate replaced it several times. The initiative garnered copious coverage as the brand effectively reclaimed the Gulf of Mexico name through a neat fusion of experiential and digital.

All told, the campaign earned 93 million impressions across traditional and social media, with positive sentiment at 99.7 percent, per LePub. Its organic reach totaled 333 million, generating $155 million in earned media, the agency says.

And last night, at the 67th Clio Awards, the effort won four Grands, tops on the night, earning kudos for excellence in content, OOH, creative disruption and social media.

Below, LePub CCOs Aldo Ramírez Zerón and Ricardo Avilés explain how they steered the course.

MUSE: Once the name change made headlines, how quickly did the campaign idea emerge?

Zerón & Avilés: When the name change was announced, the client opened the door to work on that tension. We had been exploring ideas around migration for a while, but activating outside the country wasn’t really possible. The moment it happened within our own territory, we saw a clear way to act.

In about a week, we developed a range of ideas. From the start, there was a clear direction: Keep the focus on the brand and its territory. The idea evolved collaboratively, beginning with beer as a symbol. That led to placing a boat in the middle of the Gulf to reclaim its name, and then scaling it further with a certified salted beer, turning it into something bigger and more meaningful.

Did Tecate immediately want to be a part of reclaiming the Gulf of Mexico name?

As part of a brand reframing, Tecate has been focused on genuinely connecting with Mexican culture and what truly matters to people. When a tension of that magnitude emerged, most brands chose to stay silent. For Tecate, with its DNA rooted in Mexican pride and bravery, it felt like the right moment to step in. It became the perfect opportunity to quite literally put Mexico’s name back on the map.

What has the feedback been like?

The reception of the idea has been incredible. We responded to something absurd with something even more absurd and wit—but one that actually solved something and made Mexicans and non Mexicans proud. It is proof that ideas should be bold, approachable and not overly complex.

Any tales from aboard the ship you can share?

Placing the pin in the middle of the Gulf was quite a journey. Two brave creatives and a brave client actually went out on a small boat into the middle of the Gulf and spent two nights at sea trying to get it live until it finally worked. It was rough, but it was absolutely worth it. Big ideas deserve that level of commitment.