Jose Cuervo supports at-home Day of the Dead festivities with ofrenda kits

Dive Brief:

To celebrate traditions and highlight stories of Dia de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead), Jose Cuervo has released "Todavía Después," another installment of its ongoing documentary series and is offering consumers limited-edition kits to create their own ofrendas, the home altars displayed during the annual holiday, according to a press release emailed to Marketing Dive.
The newest installment, directed by Santiago Maza Stern, focuses on Pomuch, Mexico, as local residents celebrate the Day of the Dead, completing tasks such as cleaning and caring for a loved ones' skeletons and preparing their ofrenda, the company said.
Drawing inspiration from the film, the brand has also released four limited-edition bottles designed by Mexican illustrator Tavo Santiago, per the announcement. On Wednesday, the company began delivering ofrenda kits to consumers in certain markets who posted on Instagram and Twitter. The kits come with sugar skulls, a candle, a picture frame, marigolds and information about the documentary.

Dive Insight:

As is true with other holidays, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted how consumers celebrate their traditions with loved ones. Jose Cuervo hopes to connect with people participating in at-home Day of the Dead celebrations through its ofrenda kits. In recent years, Day of the Dead celebrations have extended beyond Mexico, where they originated, and become popular around the world. The move follows other brands like Hostess, Taco Bell and Chipotle that have launched initiatives to bring festivities for different holidays into customers' homes this year.

Jose Cuervo originally released its documentary on Oct. 18 during the San Diego Film Festival, but the film will also be available on its YouTube channel, a move that could help it reach consumers looking for streaming content related to their Day of the Dead celebrations.

The documentary and ofrenda kits are the brand's latest attempt at connecting with homebound consumers from afar. In August, the company hosted a livestream event series called "Who's Making Margs?" and enlisted rapper and comedian Lil Dicky from the TV series "Dave" to host the first session.

Jose Cuervo's Day of the Dead campaign takes a similar approach as the many marketers ramping up their digital strategies for Halloween this year in an effort to address how consumer behaviors have evolved during the pandemic. This strategy is likely to be adopted by marketers for holiday tradition during the remainder of 2020.