Ketel One: Finding New Connections in Music Culture
How a premium spirits brand could build cultural relevance through music discovery and experiential partnerships.
This is an independent, speculative concept and not an official campaign or partnership endorsed by Ketel One, Diageo, or the proposed partners.
The Opportunity.
Expand Ketel One’s cultural relevance for a new generation of drinkers through music and other social experiences.
“Be present in the consumers’ lives, creating moments that are fresh and exciting, developing lasting connections with new demographics and occasions” - Craig Knox, Diago Global Cultural Manager, Malts [8]
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Consumer & Cultural Insight
Gen Z spirit consumers are increasingly interested in the discovery of new premium cocktails.
When it comes to curiosity and discoverability, music remains at the top of the list for this audience – with social and digital platforms playing a large part in how they discover new music [5].
So, while digital platforms introduce fans to new artists, live venues are influential spaces for drink discoverability [6]
Strategic Opportunity
Identified an opportunity for Ketel One to deepen its cultural relevance among 21+ Gen Z and Millennial consumers by connecting two shared behaviors: music discovery and cocktail exploration. Developed a strategy positioning the brand as a facilitator of discovery through artist-led content, curated experiences, and meaningful cultural connections.
Partnership Evaluation
Established a framework to evaluate potential music partners based on
Audience Alignment
Brand Fit
Cultural Credibility
Activation Potential
Scalability
Selected YouTube Music and Sofar Sounds as two complementary partnership opportunities, balancing digital reach and ongoing engagement with intimate, experiential connections.
Activation Concept #1
A digital partnership with YouTube Music creating an original content series sponsored by Ketel One that pairs the discovery of a musical artist’s craftsmanship with that of a cocktail
Activation Concept #2
Live event series hosted by Sofar Sounds where they bring in new or upcoming artists to their unique, intimate venues across the country.
Ketel One to curate specialty cocktails for each venue and artist curated to add to the artist’s style.
Measuring Success
Scale
High potential reach through artist-led video content, digital distribution, and repeat engagement. Content could extend beyond individual performances through artist storytelling, cocktail-inspired content, and playlists.
Rights & Restrictions
Partnership feasibility would depend on artist participation, music licensing, content usage rights, and platform advertising policies. Alcohol marketing would require age-appropriate targeting, compliance with applicable regulations, and restrictions on where branded content could appear.
What success looks like
Awareness: Qualified 21+ reach, impressions, and brand lift.
Engagement: Video completion rates, meaningful interactions, and repeat content consumption.
Brand relevance: Increased association between Ketel One and music discovery, measured through brand-lift research.
Consideration: Growth in purchase intent or cocktail exploration among eligible adult audiences.
Scale
Smaller, more targeted audiences through intimate live performances in select cities. The partnership could expand through a multi-city event series, attendee advocacy, and selectively distributed post-event content.
Rights & Restrictions
Feasibility would depend on venue alcohol policies, local liquor laws, sampling permissions, artist approvals, and event/content usage rights. Event capacity and venue requirements would also influence scalability and cost.
What success looks like
Product trial: Eligible adult attendees sampling Ketel One cocktails.
Brand affinity: Positive shifts in brand perception and event satisfaction.
Engagement: Participation, attendance rates, and voluntary social sharing.
Consideration: Post-event purchase intent and measurable follow-on actions where tracking is possible.
Strategic Recommendation
Build credibility before scalability.
I recommend starting with a strategic partnership with Sofar Sounds. The in-person experience is not only more cut and dry, but is also likely to make a more lasting impact on the audience that attends.
This provides Ketel One with an initial entry point into music, using an intimate discovery platform, encouraging product trial and increasing brand affinity.
Upon success of this partnership, there is the opportunity to expand to scale the campaign through partnership with YouTube Music, continuing to pair those musical artists with custom Ketel One cocktails.