The Patron Spirits Company is experimenting with new ways to tell the story of their artisanal tequilas using virtual reality. Patron has created a 360-degree video called “The Art of Patron” where viewers can get immersed in the production process in the Hacienda Patrón distillery in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico through the eyes of Patron’s signature bee.
Case study summary
• More and more consumers are interested in the origins and backstory of the brands and products that they consume and expect a high level of transparency into the production process, especially for artisanal products
• Patron identified virtual reality as the ideal solution to provide an immersive, engaging look into the origin and backstory of tequila
• Patron’s VR experience combines live action footage with computer animation to provide a tour of the Hacienda Patrón distillery (Jalisco, Mexico)
The challenge
More and more consumers are interested in the origins and backstory of the brands and products that they consume and expect a high level of transparency into the production process. Patron Spirits Company wanted to find a new way to tell the story of the production of their tequila, while also creating a memorable and engaging experience.
The solution
Considering the Hacienda distillery’s production process one of the key elements in the brand’s differentiation, Patron knew that it would be impossible to bring all of their consumers to Mexico for an in-person visit to see the care and quality of their process.
Patron choose virtual reality as the medium through which to tell their story. Using Patron’s signature bee as the viewer’s tour guide, the viewer is given a 2-minute bees-eye-view of the production process from the harvesting of an agave plant through to the end transformation into artisanal tequila.
The video is 360-degree immersive and Patron used binaural (3D) audio throughout to ensure a full experience, as well as combining live action and computer graphic images.
The video was released alongside the brand’s biggest time, Cinco de Mayo, in order to take advantage of various existing events where the brand’s target audience was treated to the full experience using VR headsets. Patron also offered a custom-created video player that extended the reach and allowed viewers to experience the tour on desktop and tablet, as well as promoting the video on the brand’s social channels and website.
