The Challenge
Reimagining Brand Assets for a National Tequila Relaunch
Lobos 1707 tequila, founded by Diego Osorio and backed by LeBron James, engaged trusted partner The MRL Group in advance of a major brand relaunch. The relaunch included a new foundation, updated colors, logos, and imagery, requiring a strategic partner to develop reimagined merchandising solutions that would be executed nationally across on-premise and retail accounts.
The refreshed asset suite needed to:
- Clearly communicate the updated brand across commercial tiers, including sales teams, wholesalers, and trade partners
- Generate excitement and buy-in with distributors, retail buyers, and on-premise accounts
- Build awareness and sustained excitement with both existing and target consumers
MRL was tasked with developing a comprehensive Lobos 1707 relaunch toolkit, including:
- Custom, evergreen retail POS displays and signage
- On-premise elements, from bar tools to custom bottle glorifiers and shot caddies
- Premium trade and consumer wearables that aligned with the brand’s Ultra-Premium positioning
The program successfully positioned Lobos 1707 for its next chapter, supporting momentum ahead of the brand’s acquisition by Diageo and reinforcing its standing in the Ultra-Premium tequila category.
MRL Action Plan
End-to-End Merchandising and Activation Powered by SmartBuy™
Using SmartBuy™ from brief to delivery, MRL managed creative, production, freight, consolidation, and shipping of all relaunch elements via its end-to-end process.
The MRL Creative Services team partnered closely with the client to understand the brand’s evolving strategy and develop commercially relevant on- and off-premise tools that brought the brand’s new positioning to life, including:
- Wolf LED Bottle Glorifier, inspired by a previous Art Basel activation
- Wolf LED Drinks Caddy for on-premise theater
- Custom glassware, including ceramic tiki cups
- A complete custom barware toolkit
- Custom retail displays designed for long-term use
- Print signage, including floor talkers, shelf talkers, and specialty POS
- Premium wearables, such as bomber jackets, high-end t-shirts, embroidered hats, and fashion-forward fanny packs
Production and fulfillment were managed with The MRL Group’s offshore factory network, ensuring QC standards and timing requirements were met. Given the brand’s Ultra-Premium Tequila positioning, it was imperative that all materials and finishes conveyed strong luxury cues.
Domestically, The MRL Group managed consolidation of all outbound shipments to ensure cost efficiency and ease of merchandising management by the trade marketing and distributor merchandising teams.
Results
A Successful Relaunch and Measurable Operational Impact
The fully integrated asset suite was delivered on time and in full, supporting Lobos 1707’s national relaunch and ensuring consistent brand expression everywhere consumers encountered the brand — from bars and restaurants to retail shelves and custom displays.
The centralized freight consolidation strategy delivered cost savings compared to standard drop-shipping, while enabling smoother execution for trade marketing and distributor partners.
Ready to Activate Your Brand at Retail and On-Premise?
The MRL Group helps beverage and lifestyle brands execute high-impact retail and on-premise activation programs, translate brand strategy into real-world experiences, design custom merchandising, retail displays, and on-premise theater and manage end-to-end marketing operations at scale.