PATRÓN × Condé Nast | Brand Lift Study

01

Executive Summary

Key headline findings across all metrics

Mercury Analytics conducted a forced-exposure brand lift study measuring the impact of two PATRÓN tequila creative executions ("The New Yorker partnership" comic-strip ads) on Condé Nast readers. The study employed a 3-cell design (Control, Exposed 1, Exposed 2) with quota-controlled, weighted samples of approximately 215 respondents per cell. Both creatives drove statistically meaningful lifts across all primary brand metrics, with Creative Execution #1 achieving the strongest performance on unaided awareness and brand attribute metrics, while Creative Execution #2 showed a slight edge on overall favorability.

Top-of-Mind Awareness

16%

Control

63%

Exec. 1

46%

Exec. 2

+46.4pp lift (Exec. 1)

Brand Favorability

63%

Control

70%

Exec. 1

72%

Exec. 2

+8.4pp lift (Exec. 2)

Purchase Intent

57%

Control

63%

Exec. 1

60%

Exec. 2

+6.8pp lift (Exec. 1)

Brand Momentum

18%

Control

37%

Exec. 1

32%

Exec. 2

+19.7pp lift (Exec. 1)

📣

Massive Awareness Surge

Top-of-mind unaided awareness for PATRÓN rocketed from 16% (Control) to 63% (Exec. 1) — a +46pp lift — and to 46% for Exec. 2, confirming both creatives dramatically elevated brand salience.

❤️

Favorability Gains

Both executions lifted PATRÓN favorability above the 69% mark vs. 63% for control. Creative Execution #2 posted the highest favorability at 71.7%, suggesting its messaging resonated more deeply with brand sentiment.

🛒

Purchase Intent Lifted

Exec. 1 drove purchase intent to 63.3% (+6.8pp vs. control) and consideration to 65.2% (+7.6pp). Both creatives consistently outperformed the control on all purchase funnel metrics.

⭐

Brand Attribute Leadership

Exec. 1 delivered the strongest brand attribute lifts — especially on "Additive-Free" (+24.4pp) and "Traditional Methods" (+15.3pp) — communicating PATRÓN's craft story clearly and credibly.

📈

Brand Momentum Doubled

Exposure to either creative nearly doubled the perception that PATRÓN has "Gotten Better" in the past 12 months — from 17.5% (control) to 37.2% (Exec. 1) and 31.6% (Exec. 2).

🎨

High Content Approval

~68% of exposed respondents liked the content (Exec. 1: 67.9%, Exec. 2: 67.4%). The comic-strip New Yorker format scored especially high on "Enjoyable" (75%) and "Attention-Grabbing" (73%), validating the creative direction.

Study DesignForced-exposure, 3-cell monadic

Total n643 qualified respondents

Controln=215 (no exposure)

Exposed Cell 1n=215 (Creative Exec. #1)

Exposed Cell 2n=213 (Creative Exec. #2)

PopulationCondé Nast readers, quota-controlled & weighted

MetricsTop-2-box unless noted; weighted data

02

Brand Lift Charts

Control vs. Exposed — all key metrics (weighted %, top-2-box)

Control (No Exposure)

Exposed — Creative Exec. #1

Exposed — Creative Exec. #2

Unaided Awareness

% naming PATRÓN first (Top of Mind) and at any mention

Aided Awareness & Ad Awareness

% aware of brand (aided) and % recalling recent PATRÓN ad

Brand Favorability

Overall opinion — % Very or Somewhat Favorable (top-2-box)

Purchase Funnel

Consideration, Purchase Intent, and Recommendation (top-2-box)

Brand Momentum

% saying PATRÓN has "Gotten Better" in the past 12 months — advertising dramatically elevated brand trajectory perception

03

Brand Attributes

Statement agreement (% strongly/somewhat agree) and brand word associations

PATRÓN Brand Attribute Agreement

% who agree with each statement about PATRÓN (top-2-box: Strongly + Somewhat Agree)

Control

Exec. #1

Exec. #2

Brand Word Associations

% of respondents (among those answering) selecting each word for PATRÓN — by cell

04

Likely Actions

Behavioral intent — % Very or Somewhat Likely (top-2-box)

Post-Exposure Behavioral Intent

Actions respondents say they are likely to take after exposure — all three cells shown (note: content-specific actions not applicable to control cell)

Control

Exec. #1

Exec. #2

05

Creative Comparison

Head-to-head: Execution #1 vs. Execution #2 — lift vs. control and winner

Lift vs. Control — All Key Metrics

Percentage-point lift above control cell; larger bar = stronger advertising impact

Creative Exec. #1 Lift (pp vs. Control)

Creative Exec. #2 Lift (pp vs. Control)

Head-to-Head Scorecard

Full metric comparison including absolute values and winner designation

Metric	Control	Creative Exec. #1	Creative Exec. #2	E1 Lift	E2 Lift	Winner

06

Content Evaluation

Exposed cells only — creative quality and engagement ratings

Content Statement Agreement

% Agree Strongly/Somewhat with statements about the content (exposed cells only)

Exec. #1

Exec. #2

Overall Content Likeability

Distribution of overall like/dislike ratings for each creative execution

🗞️ PATRÓN × The New Yorker Partnership Perception

Both exposed cells rated the PATRÓN–New Yorker partnership via an open-ended question. Among respondents providing a directional response, approximately 38.6% expressed a positive reaction to the partnership, citing elevated brand credibility, sophistication, and cultural relevance. Representative themes included trust-building, prestige alignment, and appreciation for the editorial comic format. A minority (~21%) actively disliked the partnership framing, noting that sponsored content in a news context felt incongruous. The majority expressed neutral impact on perception, suggesting the partnership primarily benefits PATRÓN with upside risk rather than downside.

07

Open-End Analysis

Themes, sentiment, and notable verbatims from exposed respondents

67.9%

Liked the Content

Among Exec. #1 exposed respondents

67.4%

Liked the Content

Among Exec. #2 exposed respondents

295

Positive Verbatims

Open-ended "what did you like" responses

🎨

Creative Format & Visuals

~42%

The largest positive theme. Respondents praised the comic-strip/cartoon art style, calling it "unique," "entertaining," and "different from typical alcohol ads." Many appreciated the New Yorker editorial aesthetic and found it attention-catching.

🌿

Natural Ingredients & Authenticity

~31%

A strong secondary theme centered on PATRÓN's "only agave and water" and additive-free messaging. Respondents responded positively to the transparency around ingredients and the brand's commitment to traditional methods.

😂

Humor & Clever Storytelling

~24%

Many respondents called the "not on the list" bouncer concept "funny," "clever," and "witty." The brand exclusivity metaphor resonated as a playful but premium positioning device.

🚫

Non-Drinkers / Not Relevant

~64%

The dominant dislike theme among the small group (n=14) who disliked the content was simply that they don't drink alcohol or don't drink tequila — not a content quality issue. This represents unavoidable audience mismatch, not creative failure.

📰

✅ Selected Positive Verbatims — "What did you like?"

Exec. #1 It was so cute the bouncer letting the elegant Patron bottle cut in line into the nightclub. The music was catchy and clubby sounding.

Exec. #1 I liked the interesting visual of the bouncer actively keeping out the additives. It was clever, and informative. Good humor way to make it clear about simple natural ingredients made the same way over time.

Exec. #2 The cartoons in the New Yorker portrayed Patron as a political symbol, but at the same time as a high quality product. It was progressive and unique — I've never seen an ad like that.

Exec. #1 I like that it has only 2 ingredients — agave and water. The way it illustrates the naturalness of the product was fun and colorful. I liked that the emphasis was on only natural ingredients.

Exec. #2 I thought the cartoons were fun and the choice of cartoon strip style was very effective. The art style was very "newspaper comic" styled — it caught my eye immediately.

Exec. #1 Even though I'm on the fence about sponsored content in news publications, I did like the cartoons very much — they were fun and informative. I think you're referring to the social media post and I thought it was clever. The partnership with the New Yorker is definitely appealing.

⚠️ Selected Critical Verbatims — "What did you dislike?" (n=14 total)

Exec. #1 Taking the newspaper comic format and using it for an advertisement doesn't feel right. It's like the punchline is "this is an ad!"

Exec. #2 I didn't get it.

🔭 Future OE — Selected "What do you want to see from PATRÓN?"

Future I'd like to see PATRÓN create more engaging, storytelling-driven content that connects the brand to culture, art, and experiences. Collaborations with artists, chefs, or mixologists could be interesting, and I'd also appreciate content that highlights sustainability or the craft behind their tequila.

Future More fun style ads, memes or sketches. I want to see more partnerships with large companies to promote it.

Future More fruit flavored drinks and new flavors — also more ads on social media such as Facebook and Instagram.

08

Conclusions & Recommendations

Strategic takeaways and media/creative implications

Overall Verdict

Both PATRÓN creative executions successfully drove brand lift across all primary metrics among Condé Nast readers. The campaign was especially effective at elevating brand salience and momentum — with the additive-free, natural-ingredients message landing particularly strongly. Creative Execution #1 demonstrated superior strength on unaided awareness, brand attributes, and purchase funnel metrics, making it the recommended lead creative. Creative Execution #2 delivered a slight edge on overall favorability and may benefit from additional testing as a secondary placement.

1

Scale Creative Execution #1 as Primary Creative

Exec. #1 outperformed Exec. #2 on the highest-priority metrics: unaided awareness (+46pp), brand momentum (+20pp), additive-free attribution (+24pp), and purchase intent (+7pp). This creative should serve as the lead placement in any expanded campaign flight.

2

Lean Into the "Additive-Free / Pure Ingredients" Message

The strongest brand attribute lifts — both in quantitative scores and qualitative verbatims — centered on PATRÓN's natural, additive-free ingredients and traditional methods. This proof-point differentiated PATRÓN from competitors and generated genuine resonance with health-conscious Condé Nast readers.

3

Continue & Expand Condé Nast Partnership

The New Yorker editorial comic format was widely praised for being "unique," "entertaining," and "different." The partnership itself was viewed positively by ~39% of exposed respondents. Expanding to other Condé Nast properties (Vanity Fair, Vogue, Bon Appétit) with adapted creative would likely compound brand lift.

4

Test Creative Execution #2 for Favorability Optimization

Exec. #2 edged Exec. #1 on overall favorability (+8.4pp vs. +6.6pp) and scored higher on fun/cool brand word associations and youthfulness. A/B testing both creatives together — or combining their strongest elements — could maximize across-the-board performance.

5

Amplify Social & Digital Action Triggers

Exec. #1 drove significant lifts on "Visit PATRÓN website" (+16.5pp), "Search online" (+11.5pp), and "Buy online" (+13.3pp). Adding direct call-to-action elements (QR codes, swipe-up links, "Learn more about our ingredients" CTAs) to the content could translate strong intent into measurable site traffic and conversion.

6

Address the "Exclusive / Not For Me" Perception Gap

The "For someone like me" brand word saw a notable decline among both exposed cells vs. control (from 37% to ~29–31%), and the "Sorry, you're not on the list" bouncer concept resonated as an exclusivity signal. PATRÓN may wish to balance premium positioning with inclusivity messaging to avoid pricing out aspirational consumers.

PATRÓN Tequila × Condé NastCreative Effectiveness Dashboard

Executive Summary

Brand Lift Charts

Brand Attributes

Likely Actions

Creative Comparison

Content Evaluation

🗞️ PATRÓN × The New Yorker Partnership Perception

Open-End Analysis

✅ Selected Positive Verbatims — "What did you like?"

⚠️ Selected Critical Verbatims — "What did you dislike?" (n=14 total)

🔭 Future OE — Selected "What do you want to see from PATRÓN?"

Conclusions & Recommendations

PATRÓN Tequila × Condé Nast
Creative Effectiveness Dashboard