What it had to solve
Urging consumers to ditch drab libations for something bold like a Kahlúa espresso martini, the brand leaned into its Mexican personality and its reputation for being 'too much' for the everyday — embracing it with exuberance and humour.
The idea
Telenovela drama sells the drink: over-the-top Latin American soap style, with Salma Hayek kicking down a door in a red gown to wake up boring drinks.
How it works
Directed by Mexican filmmaker Rodrigo Valdes, 'Stir Up' ran as short TV spots, OOH, cocktail-making videos and digital across the US through November 2023 before going global. In one spot, a family dinner gets jolted by espresso martinis and Kahlúa-drizzled sundaes as Hayek kicks down the door in a dazzling red gown. The bottles got glossy new labels landing in US retailers the same month.
What it did
The campaign established 'Stir Up' as Kahlúa's new global platform, with a repackaged bottle rolling into US retail; the article reports no sales figures.
Background
Kahlúa, the Pernod Ricard coffee liqueur born in Veracruz, Mexico in 1936, handed Wieden+Kennedy a repositioning job: move the drink from special occasions into all kinds of moments. The agency's answer, 'Stir Up', is a platform inspired by Latin American telenovelas — bold, over-the-top style with a sensual flair.
Salma Hayek fronts the campaign. In one 15-second spot, a family dinner receives a jolt of excitement when espresso martinis and Kahlúa-drizzled ice-cream sundaes enter the picture — elevated further when Hayek kicks down the door in a dazzling red gown to announce, 'Friday called. It's bored of wine.'
Global VP of marketing Craig van Niekerk said the brand is 'over-the-top and proud', channelling its Mexican personality to inspire a new generation of home mixologists. The work extended to OOH, cocktail-making videos and digital, running in the US through November 2023 before a global debut.
Hayek said she couldn't resist supporting the brand's local coffee growers — since 2022 Kahlúa has sourced all its coffee sustainably from Veracruz farms alongside nonprofit Fondo Para La Paz. The same season, the bottles received a makeover with glossy new labels at US retailers.
Why it lands
Telenovela is a genre with built-in permission for excess, matching a liqueur that is literally 'too much' for some occasions.
A movie-star door-kick gives the platform a repeatable signature move for future executions.
Pairing the drama with the brand's Veracruz sourcing story grounds the fun in a real Mexican identity.
What you can take
If consumers think your brand is 'too much', stop apologising — cast the exaggeration as the brand's own genre.
Since then
'Stir Up' was set to roll out to global markets after its US run; no performance figures are reported.
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