Patrón Doubles Down On Additive-Free With New Ad Effort
Bacardi-owned Patrón Tequila continues to play up its additive-free credentials, debuting a fresh round of ads featuring redacted language to highlight the charged conversation around additives in Tequila, which has seen some brands embrace the additive-free moniker and others downplay its relevance.
Ranked third in the U.S. Tequila category at 2.3 million cases according to Impact Databank, Patrón has leaned into its additive-free ingredient list, tapping consumers looking for transparently-produced products. The brand’s marketers note a growing number of Tequila drinkers who are deliberately seeking out additive-free brands. In February, Patrón kicked off a “100% Additive-Free Tequila” campaign.
“Our data showed that 61% of consumers globally would choose additive-free spirits over the alternative in the 2025 Bacardi Global Consumer Survey,” Roberto Ramirez Laverde, global senior vice president Patrón and Agaves at Bacardi Ltd told SND. “We’re seeing additive-free menus popping up at bars and restaurants, and liquor stores carving out shelf space to highlight additive-free Tequilas, showing just how much demand there is for Tequilas that don’t include extra ingredients.
“With Patrón, we’re constantly sharing our message: a commitment to just three natural ingredients in every bottle—100% Blue Weber agave, yeast, and water—and continuing to pop up in key tentpole moments throughout the year,” he continued. “This summer, Patrón is bringing its Hacienda Patrón experience to seven major music festivals around the country in partnership with Live Nation.”
In its latest effort, Patrón is debuting a new “Censored Truth” series of ads, including redacted visuals and bleeped out language to illustrate what it says are “very real barriers to transparency faced by producers” seeking to play up their additive-free status, owing to opposition from Tequila industry regulators. Mexico’s Tequila Regulatory Council has warned brands against labeling declaring themselves additive-free—and against being cited as such on third-party websites—as it allows 1% of additives by total liquid weight even on Tequilas designated 100% agave.
The Censored Truth push includes outdoor ads in New York City, New Orleans, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Cleveland; train wraps at major transport hubs like the Chicago CTA; and bleeped out language in audio ads. The goal with the campaign is “to take the challenging situation of being asked not to share our truth and turn it into a creative narrative that resonates with consumers,” according to Patrón’s global communications vice president Laila Mignoni.
While additive-free brands have gained a following with retailers and consumers, the industry debate on the issue continues. In a recent interview with SND, Proximo Spirits chief marketing officer Lander Otegui asserted, “The current additive-free narrative is misleading to consumers. Additives are enhancers that create consistency and standardization and have been used by other spirits categories for decades. There is an outsized focus on additives in Tequila that is unfair to the category.”
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