Dive Brief:

• Estrella Jalisco is promoting the release of its new Classic Michelada product — named after a popular Mexican drink — with a partnership with media company Tastemade and celebrity chef Maria Mazon, per details emailed to Marketing Dive.
• The 25-ounce canned beverage — which blends a Mexican-style lager with Clamato and lime juice — is the first CPG product to feature the Tastemade name in the U.S. A QR code on Tastemade-branded cans allows consumers to access michelada-inspired recipe content and a three-month trial of Tastemade+, the platform's ad-free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service.
• Over the next few months, the brand will hold a "Monday Micheladas" social media contest, paying five fans to take a Monday off work and receive a michelada-inspired feast curated by Mazon, who will also host a virtual cooking class for the winners. The campaign seeks to engage with consumers who are viewing more online video content, especially around food.

Dive Insight:

Estrella Jalisco, a Mexican beer brand marketed by Anheuser-Busch, is utilizing several tactics to promote its new Classic Michelada product with a campaign that ties together digital video, a social media contest and influencer marketing. Along with being timed to National Michelada Day (July 12), the campaign looks to promote a low-alcohol (3.5% ABV) beverage well-suited for consumers who are returning to pre-pandemic activities like barbecues, game days and summer brunches, said Jayden Kahl, the brand's senior director, in a statement. 

The first-to-market partnership with Tastemade uses the media company's name and audience of digital video viewers that are engaged with food and recipe content. Media companies like Tastemade have helped fill the appetite for digital content among consumers — who spent more time on digital and mobile channels during the pandemic and are poised to continue doing so — and can serve as strategic partners for brands.

The QR codes on cans give consumers access to such content, plus a trial of the company's SVOD service, a highly specialized offering amongst the subscription-based landscape that it can promote with the partnership. The media company boasts 300 million monthly viewers and more than 2.5 billion views across all major digital, mobile and streaming TV platforms, giving the partnership a wide-reach among consumers.

Beyond the Tastemade content and free trial, Estrella Jalisco is teaming with Chef Maria Mazon, a Tastemade partner who competed on "Top Chef." The social media contest could generate more interest in the new product, especially with fans of the chef and the show. Celebrity chefs have recently been tapped by brands including Stella Artois and Kraft Heinz as a way to engage with food-focused audiences. In the latter case, the CPG giant launched a food-focused digital platform in partnership with "Top Chef" alum Edward Lee.