Spirits-based canned cocktail brand Cutwater announced its newest branding initiative, Open the Bar. This integrated campaign features new, creative ad spots highlighting the brand’s premium, ready-to-drink innovations which turn any occasion into a high-quality cocktail experience.

Accompanying the platform is a new, elevated visual brand design seen on Cutwater’s line of 20-plus canned cocktails, including Lime Margarita, Vodka Mule, Tiki Rum Mai Tai and Mango Margarita.

The new campaign launches amidst a rise in the ready-to-drink category and is designed to educate and empower consumers on the quality of the segment. This is brought to life in three spots developed by AKQA and directed by Italian artist duo Mathery, “Après Ski,” “Beach,” and “At-Home Entertaining,” each pulling inspiration from the brand’s vibrant color palette and brand world – from set design to decor and beyond.

The spots highlight key drinking occasions where barriers to easy enjoyment of a favorite cocktail might exist.

“Cutwater is on a mission to make bar-quality cocktails more accessible by enabling consumers to finally enjoy the cocktail of their choice, whenever, wherever,” said Chad Lafeldt, Vice President of Marketing for Cutwater, in a news release. “In our new ‘Open The Bar’ campaign, we show that by simply opening one of our 20+ award-winning canned cocktails consumers can enjoy bar-quality cocktails in occasions that were otherwise reserved for other beverages, bringing the best of the bar where they are.”

Alongside the new campaign, the brand is unveiling a new visual brand design that champions this sentiment while providing more clear graphic cues. The elevated packaging will mirror the quality of its portfolio to help consumers more easily navigate the spirits-based ready-to-drink category.

Inspired by consumer insights and designed to keep the brand growing sustainably for years to come, the new packaging features bold colors and illustrations to showcase flavors and cocktail graphics. The ABV is displayed front and center while the amount of shots in each ready-to-drink can is clearly marked. Other design changes include a larger logo for easier recognition on crowded shelves and more simple typography for readability.

“As we continue to focus our efforts, Anheuser-Busch is committed to growing and investing in its Beyond Beer portfolio, with a major emphasis on category leaders like Cutwater.” said Monica Mody, Group Vice President of Marketing for Anheuser-Busch’s Beyond Beer Business Unit. “We believe in the power of the ever-evolving ready-to-drink category and are here to help educate consumers on the exciting space while bringing them a best-in-class line-up of offerings.”

Cutwater’s new visual brand design and campaign will be rolling out through the spring, living across social channels, connected TV, premium digital video platforms and retail.

For more information, visit https://www.cutwaterspirits.com/.