What if a Christmas campaign didn’t aim to be wholesome or picture-perfect?
The company, named after the Mexican word for desperados, decides to respond to this question by performing the unprecedented feat for a brand: telling the truth.
One of the brands of beer recently launched a limited edition series of beers, and one of the offerings is titled ‘Christmas Cake & Family Arguments.’ Believe it or not, this is the actual title. It is not a pun or an advertisement, and
This beer was made with traditional Christmas spices: cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg, followed by the chilli kick that cut with the kind of aggression you can sometimes expect at Christmas dinner. Sweet, spicy, awkward, and definitely real.
Here’s the twist:
The product had not been designed for the purpose of sale.
The campaign didn’t involve shelves, discount offers, or conversions. The product was the concept itself, and the concept spread like wildfire.
Desperados chose to flaunt the messy bits of the holiday season that consumers secretly relate to, while most other holiday ads flaunted polish and perfection. Desperados chose to promote understanding rather than miracles.
People shared this because of its honesty.
They laughed because it was familiar.
They remembered it because it did not pretend.
The larger implication for marketers: You can make waves without distribution. Reach is no match for cultural relevancy. When brands mix warmth with the truth, whether hard or uncomfortable truths, the result is no longer an advertisement, but an engagement with culture. And that’s exactly what Desperados accomplished during the Christmas season.
