How Agüita Served an Ice-Cold Celebration of Mexican Culture for Don Julio

To mark the release of Don Julio’s 70 Añejo Cristalino tequila, and the release of the limited artist edition bottle designed by Mexican American fashion designer Willy Chavarria – there were certain elements that could not be overlooked in the marketing campaign.

Firstly, the Don Julio x Willy Chavarria film had to look and feel unmistakably ‘Willy’, infusing his bold, high-fashion aesthetic with his Mexican-American heritage.

Secondly, for ‘Por Amor’ – a spot airing globally to mark the launch of Don Julio’s 70 Añejo Cristalino tequila – the film had to capture the essence of the drink itself: luxury, innovative, and designed to be enjoyed ice-cold.

​Agüita launched director Camila Grandi's commercial career in the US with this campaign, Veronica Leon, co-founder at Agüita reflected that being chosen to work on the campaign was, “a dream project all around”.

This project required Camila to bring a “fresh perspective” to the Don Julio brand. Looking at previous iterations of the campaign by creative agency, Anomaly, Camila landed on a new direction that retained the same sense of celebration and togetherness.

“I always try to give my work a unique signature – a balance between the poetic and the pop, between the emotional and the visual,” Camila explains. “In this campaign – although there was a clear brief and a global brand framework – there was also a search for a fresh perspective, and that was the most challenging aspect.

“That's why I wanted to integrate my aesthetic obsessions: the use of visual metaphors, texture in the image, and that sensibility I like to convey, which connects beyond advertising.”

The opportunity to work on this project was met with “excitement and, quite frankly, a bit of confidence”, says co-founder Yamel Thomspon.

“This was the perfect campaign for Camila and for Agüita to take on,” Veronica adds. “It had all the elements of things we knew we could and have executed really well in the past: multilayered campaigns with stills and video, multi-country shoots, culturally-relevant creative with polished and striking visuals. These are all things Agüita excels at developing and executing.”

Celebrating Mexican Culture from All Angles

The ‘Por Amor’ campaign includes a spot tailored for the North American and global audience, a spot tailored to the Mexican audience, the Willy Chavarria, and two separate stills campaigns.

Anomaly, Agüita, and Camila worked closely with Willy to finetune the look and feel of the films to ensure they aligned with his visual identity and aesthetic. Featuring his signature red rose imagery, alongside a thoughtful use of light and dark, shapes, and textures, the films tie in to the limited edition bottles’ Día de Muertos iconography.

“His style and voice was key in developing the storyline, and you can see it very clearly in the tone of the film, the set design – which Camila was very specific and thorough about – and of course, the styling and wardrobe the talent wore on screen. All of the clothes were Willy’s designs,” Veronica explains.

The films also had the task of feeling authentically linked to Mexican culture, while simultaneously appealing to a wider global audience. Yamel adds that this was achieved through thoughtful casting decisions in addition to wardrobe and stylistic choices. “We were extremely thorough in the casting process, the selection of the wardrobe, and most importantly, the location and the storyline beats,” she says.

Ultimately, the team landed upon the notion of “celebrating Mexican culture from all angles”. A convenience store was selected as the setting for the campaign, owing to the universality of these spaces and the wide range of reasons people choose to shop there.

“These types of stores are seen in every corner of Mexico, so the film inherently was a celebration of their daily life,” says Veronica. “The backdrop of the ‘Frio’ campaigns says it all without having to show elements that would feel too on-the-nose or cliché. This was the genius of Anomaly’s concept, and it was beautifully executed by Camila.

“The concept of throwing a party where you usually go to buy your bottle of tequila resonates with everyone, everywhere,” she adds.

With a celebratory, party-like atmosphere setting the tone for the campaign, the team ensured that there were deeper emotions embedded within the films too. “We made sure that we were telling a bigger story where you could feel the emotions – the feelings of having a really good time while sipping a fantastic glass of tequila, while including nods to Mexico throughout.”

On top of all of this, notably, the films had to incorporate one important detail, “We needed to get across that Don Julio 70 Añejo Cristalino is meant to be served and enjoyed very cold.”

This sensation was achieved through carefully considering everything from the on-set lighting to the lenses and frame rates used throughout the shoot – a stylised aesthetic which aligned with Camila’s approach to directing.

“My narrative approach is largely rooted in emotion,” she explains. “For me, it's not just about showing something beautiful, but about capturing a feeling and transforming it into images that stay in your memory. My creative voice blends the intentionally filmic with the visceral. I like what I direct to be honest and to feel alive, even when I'm playing with highly-stylised aesthetics.”

Making A Leap

Marking Camila’s entry into the US commercial space with Agüita, she notes that the campaign was “a giant leap” in her directing career so far.

With a prolific background in music videos, working on a campaign for a global brand with the legacy that Don Julio has was “both a challenge and a validation”, she continues. “For me, it means opening myself up to new spaces, to other codes, but always with the idea that I can bring my directorial sensibilities to any format, which makes it very exciting.”

She attributes her growth to her “creative home”, Agüita. “From the beginning, they trusted my vision, encouraged me to take risks, and gave me the tools to grow,” she shares. “It's been a place of tremendous learning, which I greatly value. The most valuable thing has been feeling like there's a team behind me that believes in my vision and pushes me to expand it, both in local and international projects. Vero [Veronica Leon, founder and EP] and Yam [Yamel Thompson, founder and EP] are incredibly involved and supportive, and so is the entire team at Agüita. I wouldn’t want to be in any other place.”

This debut work for Don Julio also marks the start of Camila’s journey within the international commercial market. She adds, “I'm excited about continuing to build my own language within the global commercial space. I believe that advertising, when done with soul, can be as powerful as a work of art.”

“What motivates me is thinking about how I can bring something fresh, Latin American, and personal to an international stage.”