In feature 028 of Conversations Behind The Campaign, we sit down with Kathleen Braine, Chief Marketing Officer of 818 Tequila and Sprinter Vodka.
With over 15 years in marketing, Kathleen has worked with powerhouse brands like Samsung, Crayola, MTV, Anheuser-Busch, and now leads marketing for 818 Tequila and Sprinter Vodka Soda.
Sprinter Vodka, founded by entrepreneur Kylie Jenner in 2024, is a bold and refreshing RTD vodka soda made with real fruit juice, premium vodka, and sparkling water.
818 Tequila, launched by Kendall Jenner in 2021, is a premium tequila brand named after the Calabasas area code. Crafted with 100% Blue Weber agave from Jalisco, Mexico, it’s known for its smooth taste, sustainability efforts, and high-quality production.
In our conversation, Kathleen breaks down the marketing strategies behind Sprinter Vodka’s Peach Please campaign, the reasoning behind 818 Tequila’s partnership with LESET, and how activations like the 818 Outpost and college tours drive brand growth, plus so much more!
Q1. Can you please share your story on how you got into marketing? When did your marketing career begin and how has it evolved?
I’ve been in marketing for almost 15 years, I started out agency-side at Edelman’s digital practice in NYC when I was looking for a job post-grad in 2010. I originally wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to law school eventually, or pivot into another career, but I quickly got bitten by the marketing bug and never looked back. I’ve had the opportunity to work for and on amazing brands over the years like Samsung, Crayola, MTV, Anheuser-Busch, and now 818 Tequila and Sprinter Vodka Soda.
Q2. How would you define the brand personalities and target audiences for Sprinter Vodka and 818 Tequila?
818 Tequila has three brand pillars: Magical, we are about the magic of community, Crafted, the craft and mixology possibility of Tequila, and Spirited, the spirit of sustainability. Our brand personality really comes to life in our “Magical” pillar, our brand is all about magical moments spent with friends and family over a glass of 818 Tequila. As one of the fastest-growing spirits brands in the U.S., 818 isn’t just award-winning and delicious, it’s a go-to for those who value authenticity, sustainability, and community.
As Sprinter approaches its one-year anniversary, 818’s fruit-forward, fast, and fun little sister continues to bring the party. With bold, vibrant branding that captures the energy of unforgettable moments with friends and the most delicious taste on the market, Sprinter is the ultimate plus-one for fun.
Q3. Sprinter Vodka recently launched their single peach flavoured 4-pack cans, taking over the Georgia state. What were the key marketing strategies used to generate awareness around the launch and why did you choose Athens and Atlanta for this campaign?
After the overwhelming consumer love for Sprinter Peach since Sprinter Vodka Soda’s March 2024 launch, we knew our first-ever single-flavor pack needed to be Peach. While we’ve previously activated in major markets like LA, New York, and Chicago, this time, we set our sights on a market that was both unexpected and perfectly on theme, letting Sprinter paint Georgia peach.
We focused on Atlanta as the capital of GA and also Athens due to its 21+ college audience at UGA, and then took a 360 marketing approach to the takeover, with trade marketing displays, activations and tastings at key on-premise and off-premise accounts, strategic guerilla OOH, targeted e-commerce and digital media, influencer integration, and experiential activations in both Atlanta and Athens – all culminating in a GA visit from our founder Kylie Jenner.
Q4. The team delivered over 100 cases of Peach Packs over the course of the week with branded Sprinter chrome vans. What role did experiential and out of home marketing play in driving excitement and engagement?
Our strategy combined Sprinter’s bold branding with interactive sampling moments highlighting our new Peach 4-pack, as our goal was to both drive brand awareness of Sprinter across GA while also getting cans in hands.
Guerilla OOH, billboards, and a giant inflatable peach atop Paloma Park drove brand awareness in hyper-relevant locations throughout Atlanta and Athens (we even have a billboard right on Peachtree!). Meanwhile, as you mentioned, our signature chrome Sprinter vans delivered over 100 cases to micro-influencers and relevant consumers throughout the week.
Our tentpole moment was country star Ella Langley performing at Paloma Park, with Kylie making a surprise appearance, handing out Peach Sprinter cans to excited fans. The event drew over 500 attendees and sold over 50 cases of Peach Sprinter in just a few hours.
Q5. Sprinter Vodka just released its second variety pack. What drove that decision, and what marketing strategy did you use to promote the new flavours?
Our second variety pack—The Palm Springs Pack—is all about capturing the carefree energy of being poolside in Palm Springs. The theme for the pack was inspired in part by Kylie’s longtime personal connection to the area, and the four new flavors (Mango, Pink Lemonade, Pineapple & Strawberry) are juicy, bold, and just the right amount of nostalgic.
We brought this launch to life through vibrant campaign visuals reflecting the retro glamour and sun-drenched vibe of Palm Springs, including custom airbrush illustrations that nod to vintage Palm Springs postcards.
To launch, we partnered with REVOLVE to co-host a Pool Party at The Parker Hotel Palm Springs with a lemonade stand to kick off festival weekend — a perfect fit for our new Pink Lemonade flavour. We also created a custom CALPAK suitcase mailer, tying back to our core campaign message of the Sprinter Palm Springs Pack transporting you to Palm Springs with the first sip, no where you are! Lastly, we built out our 360 Campaign with Airport and Aerial OOH, Sprinter Van influencer deliveries, and e-commerce native advertising.
Q6. 818 Tequila and LESET also recently collaborated to launch the “Big Night In” campaign. Can you please share the objective(s) of this campaign and why did 818 choose to partner with LESET?
818 Tequila’s Big Night In campaign was designed to meet consumers where they are this winter – at home. We know our consumer was spending more time at home and hosting friends for things like dinner parties and girl’s nights in – so Big Night In was all about celebrating nights at home with great company, effortless style, and delicious 818 Tequila.
As part of the campaign, 818 Tequila teamed up with modern Ready-to-Wear brand LESET to introduce The Cocktail Attire Collection, a limited-edition capsule designed to pair perfectly with signature 818 Tequila cocktails. LESET made a ton of sense to partner with because they are a growing brand that speaks to both our core consumer and helps us reach new consumers, and they create beautiful sets that are perfect for going from the plane to a meeting to a girls night in.
Q7. 818 Tequila has been highly active in experiential marketing, from Coachella’s ‘818 Outpost’ to college tours. What role do these activations play in the brand’s overall strategy?
818 Tequila was built on community, and our experiential marketing strategy reflects that. We don’t just show up; we create moments that invite consumers to drink our delicious 818 cocktails and engage and co-create with us in a meaningful way. Our founder, Kendall, is the creative visionary behind everything we do. We really look to have a consistent and beautiful brand identity at every touch point based on her direction.”
With the 818 Outpost 2024 we brought the influencer treatment to fans and created a full-scale Western town pop-up just outside the festival, complete with a central Saloon, cocktail-serving horse trailer, and multiple social-media-worthy moments. Both influencer and consumer attendees walked away with festival essentials. The results spoke for themselves: 1,500+ attendees and over 1.3B social impressions, a big contributor to making 818 Tequila the most talked-about tequila on TikTok in 2024.
Beyond the 818 Outpost, our 818 College Tour also allows us to tap into key markets and connect with our core audience in authentic ways. Our strategy isn’t just about product marketing – it’s about cultural relevance, community, and creating moments people want to be a part of.
Q8. 818 Tequila’s Outpost activation returned to the desert for its third year. Can you share some insight into the planning and creative direction behind this year’s pop-up at Coachella?
This year, the 818 Outpost returned to the desert for its third year, with a fun new creative direction inspired by a Slim Aaron’s style 1970s Autocamp Soirée. We expanded the footprint and partnered with The h.wood Group to host the mini-festival with signature 818 cocktails, a special DJ set from the multi-talented Grammy-winning artist, rapper, and drummer DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak), and immersive pop-ups from brand partners like Sprinter Vodka Soda, rhode, Postmates, Califia Farms, Celsius, Good American, ONE/SIZE, HydroJug, and more.
What makes the 818 Outpost special is that it’s more than an event, it’s a moment for our whole 818 community. From our Festival Collection merch drop to a cocktail contest that let our fans score VIP invites, every detail was designed to engage with 818’s audience. In just a few years, the 818 Outpost has evolved into a must-attend experience that kicks off festival weekend.
Q9. What has been your favourite brand moment or campaign at 818, and why?
It’s so hard to choose! My two top picks are probably the 818 Outpost and our 2024 Espresso Martini collab with Chamberlain Coffee.
The 818 Outpost has been incredibly rewarding; we’ve grown our presence surround-sounding Coachella each year, starting with our 818 airstream at Revolve Festival and evolving into our own mini-festival. It’s been amazing to see the enthusiastic consumer engagement and growing brand loyalty year over year.
Similarly, our Espresso Martini collab with Chamberlain Coffee was a success because it combined two culturally relevant brands to capitalize on a global cocktail trend in an engaging way. This campaign exemplifies the importance of understanding your audience, identifying a compelling insight, and crafting creative campaigns that resonate accordingly.
Q10. How do you anticipate marketing in the spirits industry evolving in the coming years, and what key trends do you foresee shaping the market?
I’m incredibly interested to see how the trend of more deliberate consumption amongst the younger generation impacts how spirit brands continue to market as time goes on. At 818, we specifically highlight the craft and versatility of tequila, and we speak about different occasions for tequila enjoyment beyond the margarita or the shot, which is very much aligned to the evolving ethos around deliberate consumption in the next generation of tequila drinkers.
Q11. Where can our audience follow and engage with you, Sprinter Vodka and 818 Tequila on social media?
You can find me on LinkedIn, keep up with Sprinter at @drinksprinter and drinksprinter.com, and follow 818 Tequila at @drink818 and visit drink818.com.
Images credited to Sophie Sahara, 818 Tequila and Sprinter Vodka with permission to use
