Lessons from Scaling an Artisanal Mezcal Brand with Sensory-Driven Creative
Hey, if you’re reading this, you’re probably in the trenches trying to scale an alcohol brand while dodging platform restrictions and rising CAC. We helped an artisanal mezcal brand crack that problem with an unexpected creative angle—ASMR. Turns out, the sound of pouring mezcal was more powerful than any polished brand ad. Here’s what we learned, what worked, and how we scaled it profitably.
Background
Agua Mágica is a premium mezcal brand rooted in the artisanal traditions of the mezcaleros in Oaxaca, Mexico. Their product is a masterclass in craftsmanship, with the experience extending beyond taste. Everything from the packaging to the brand story is steeped in authenticity.
Initially, their primary sales channel was through distributors, but they wanted to expand into DTC. However, advertising in the alcohol space comes with its own set of roadblocks such as strict regulations, platform restrictions, and limited geographic targeting. Despite these challenges, our team was able to build and scale a profitable DTC growth engine for Agua Mágica using an oddly satisfying creative element that unlocked real growth.
The Challenge
Agua Mágica faced several key obstacles in its DTC expansion:
Advertising Restrictions – As an alcohol brand, they were limited in the types of creative they could run and the audiences they could target.
Market Differentiation – Most competitors relied on highly stylized, polished content, but this wasn’t translating into strong performance in their account for direct-to-consumer acquisition.
Scaling Profitably – Without a proven ad model, spending aggressively could lead to wasted budget rather than sustainable growth.
The Strategy & The Result
Rather than following the industry norm of using only premium, high-production-value creative, we took a different approach. After testing multiple formats including highly stylized product shots, behind-the-scenes footage, and unboxing videos, we discovered a surprising winner: ASMR content.
The sensory experience of pouring, sipping, unwrapping and even tapping the bottle resonated deeply with Agua Mágica’s audience. By leaning into this, we created an ad that:
✅ Reduced CAC by 80% compared to previous ads
✅ Scaled profitably to $50K in ad spend during the peak holiday season
✅ Outperformed traditional high-end product creatives
Winning ASMR Ad Unit
Key Learnings & Takeaways
Go Against the Grain – While competitors relied on polished, brand-heavy content, we found that intimate, sensory-driven ASMR ads outperformed all other creative types. Don’t be afraid to test something new. Even if its not usual for your vertical. We pulled inspo for the ASMR ad from some of our beauty brands who use this content regularly!
Leverage a Strong Creator Network – Instead of lengthy production cycles, we tapped into our network of trusted creators, delivering a winning ad on the first attempt while keeping production costs low. We also managed the storyboarding, scripting and final editing of the assets creating an end-to-end experience for the Agua Mágica team that allowed them to focus on other areas of execution during their busiest time of year.
Automate Performance Tracking – Our internal automated reporting tracker helped us monitor and scale ads in real time, ensuring peak efficiency during the busiest sales period. This is updated automatically every day with no intervention necessary from our team. Imagine, no manual spreadsheets, just the data you need whenever you need it. We also set up automatic alerts to inform us when it was time to go in and cut any non scaling ads. This helped us to minimize wasted ad spend and maximize profit. This is something we plan to release in the near future to the public so stay tuned!
Think About the Product – This seems so simple but what we found was that elements of the bottle design, such as some of the label text being upside down intentionally, as well as the increcacies of the gift box, lended itself to an ad format that was personal and sensory by design. Alcohol brands often stick to a rigid formula in advertising, but audience behavior & product experience dictates creative success, not industry norms.
Final Thoughts
For brands looking to scale DTC in highly regulated industries such as alcohol, the key is process, documentation, and a willingness to experiment. The success of Agua Mágica wasn’t just about a single ad, it was about a repeatable system for testing and scaling breakthrough creatives.
At Genesist Labs, we specialize in breaking through barriers that hold brands back. If you’re looking to scale your DTC growth while navigating a complex advertising landscape, let’s talk.
