Patrón tequila partnered with social video commerce agency MikMak to become the first liquor brand to sell via ads on Instagram Stories. Having previously experimented with augmented reality, messaging bots and Amazon Alexa-enabled voice skills, the brand is continuing to leverage emerging mobile channels to position itself as an innovative leader.
By swiping up on a Patrón Instagram Story ad, users can place their in-app order via third-party platforms Drizly, Instacart and Reserve Bar. In-app checkout was announced by Instagram in March and has proven to be successful, however, alcohol brands have been weary to play due to age verification barriers. Patrón hopes to break through these barriers by using well-established third-party partners and requiring ID checks both in-app and upon delivery.
Shoppable Instagram ads are Patrón’s first move to make 20% of its business e-commerce by 2030. With Gen Zers showing the highest tendency to purchase through an ad, Patrón is in a strong position to foster the generation’s engagement and brand loyalty. It will be interesting to see if Patrón is able to avoid age identification controversies on Instagram that we have seen previously on Snapchat.