AdMiration feature: Diageo’s "Made to Be Raised" and "This Calls for Casamigos"

For this week's AdMiration feature, we looked at consumer response to two ads from Diageo FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign — Don Julio's "Made to Be Raised" and Casamigos’ "This Calls for Casamigos."

Read on to get our 3-2-1 snapshot of the ad (3 facts, 2 learnings and 1 reflection) and learn how their ad was received based on our data.

“Made to be Raised”

The ad opens in a lively, post-match celebration, with people gathered in a high-energy party setting. Thierry Henry enters holding the limited-edition Don Julio 1942 FIFA World Cup bottle, moving through the crowd as the atmosphere buzzes around him.

At one point, he pauses and kisses the bottle — a nod to his soccer legacy — before lifting it up above his head. Around him, others begin to follow his lead, raising their glasses and bottles into the air.

As the moment builds, more people across the space join in, lifting their drinks high. We see close-ups of hands holding glasses, the tequila catching the light, and people smiling as they share the moment.

The ad closes on a clean shot of the limited-edition bottle, alongside the line: “Made to Be Raised.”

“This Calls for Casamigos”

The ad opens in a busy bar during a soccer match, with Keegan-Michael Key speaking to camera, saying he’s excited to team up with Casamigos for the FIFA World Cup.

Gabrielle Union responds, pushing back slightly and suggesting that since it only happens every four years, it needs to be done properly.

The two go back and forth, each making playful claims about their football skills — comparing themselves to different types of players. There’s a sense of friendly competition in their exchange, with both leaning into the rivalry around the game.

As the moment continues, the focus shifts to drinks being prepared, with Casamigos margaritas poured and served. The tone softens as they acknowledge that when margaritas are involved, they can be rivals on the field but amigos at the bar.

The ad closes with product shots alongside the line: “Rivals at the game, Casamigos at the bar.”

3 facts

• Two tequila brands, one tournament and two very different approaches to winning it. "This Calls for Casamigos" earns strong scores across both Sales Impact (87) and Brand Impact (77). "Made to Be Raised" scores 75 for Sales Impact and 65 for Brand Impact. Among soccer fans, both ads achieve impressive results — Sales Impact climbs to 97 for both, Brand Impact to 92 for Casamigos and 94 for Don Julio. 

• Both ads generate strong Love scores — 34% for Casamigos and 35% for Don Julio (vs 27% norm) but each earns it differently. Casamigos has a light, playful tone throughout — Love and Laughter running side by side as the rivalry between Union and Key unfolds. On the other hand, Love builds gradually and patiently in "Made to Be Raised" to a single peak at the exact moment the bottle and the tagline land together.

• Each ad gets across exactly what it sets out to. "This Calls for Casamigos" drives strong associations with “Great for socializing” (64%) and “Crafted for sharing” (41%) — the precise occasion attributes at the heart of its watch party strategy. "Made to Be Raised" pulls ahead on “High quality” (57%) and “Premium/luxury feel” (49%). These two tequila brands work together as part of one sponsorship strategy, each with its own unique positioning.

2 learnings

• There’s more than one way to make people love your brand. "This Calls for Casamigos" is, above all, a warm ad, but it earns that warmth through comedy rather than sentiment. Love holds steady throughout the middle of the ad while Laughter peaks as the rivalry escalates — both emotions running concurrently. Across more than 100 editions of AdMiration, we've found that the combination of Love and Laughter is a repeat winning formula. When it's done right, viewers laugh through the ad and walk away feeling warmth for the brand. As one respondent put it: "I liked the actors, the comedy that made it more attractive to the brand, and the idea about gathering friends for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and having the new drink together.” The result is an ad that entertains and builds brand equity simultaneously, without needing a poignant moment to get there.

• At a cultural moment this large, knowing exactly who your creative is built to move is what turns reach into results. Both ads perform strongly across the total audience but each achieved stronger scores with a specific group. "This Calls for Casamigos" — with its female lead and convenient RTD format — drives Purchase Uplift of 41 points among Women Midlifers 35+. This is the strongest converting segment for this ad, with Sales Impact reaching 90 among women. "Made to Be Raised" — with its cinematic cultural references and Thierry Henry — works the best with soccer fans. Neither ad was built only for those audiences, but the creative choices each made speak most powerfully to specific groups of people. The trick, as with any large-scale sponsorship, is ensuring that the right creative gets in front of the right viewers.

1 reflection

Are you clear on which part of the occasion your brand owns?

Soccer isn’t just about the game and the final score. It's also about the shared experience that happens around it, including the watch parties and the rivalries. Don Julio and Casamigos are each owning a different part of that experience.

“Made to be Raised” is unambiguously about victory. Every creative choice — from the ceremonial raise to the gold bottle inspired by the trophy itself — places Don Julio at the emotional peak of the tournament. Love peaks at the exact moment the bottle and the tagline land together, and among soccer fans that emotional response is even stronger. 

“This Calls for Casamigos“ taps into the social fabric around the game, rather than the emotional peak of it. It’s the drink for everything happening around the match — the watch party, the banter and the rivalries. 

What makes this particularly compelling is how precisely the products reflect the creative split. Don Julio’s limited-edition gold bottle is literally modeled on the World Cup trophy as a collectible for a singular moment. In contrast, Casamigos' new RTD margaritas are designed to be casual, convenient and social. 

The question worth asking before any sponsorship campaign: which moment are you actually showing up for — and does everything about your creative, your product and your messaging point in the same direction?

"This Calls for Casamigos" and "Made to Be Raised" are part of Diageo's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, which sees the global spirits leader activate as the Official Spirits Supporter in North, Central and South America — the first time Diageo has partnered with the tournament.

Diageo's portfolio at the tournament includes Casamigos and Don Julio tequila, Buchanan's and Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky and Smirnoff vodka, with activations planned across all 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Each brand has been given a distinct role within the wider campaign. 

Don Julio leads with "Made to Be Raised" as the hero campaign across markets, anchored by the limited-edition Don Julio 1942 bottle — a gold design inspired by the FIFA World Cup trophy itself, positioned as a collectible centerpiece for the occasion. 

Casamigos targets at-home viewing occasions with "This Calls for Casamigos," built around the launch of its new ready-to-drink margaritas in Classic Lime and Spicy variants. Buchanan's, meanwhile, is activating a music-led campaign with Latin GRAMMY winner Rauw Alejandro, inviting fans into Nuestro Mundo — a celebration of Latino culture and community.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the biggest tournament in FIFA's history: six weeks, 104 matches and three host countries. As the only spirits brand among the tournament's major beverage sponsors, Diageo brings a distinctive category voice to a global stage traditionally dominated by beer. Cristina Diezhandino, Diageo's Chief Marketing Officer, described the partnership as "a unique opportunity to celebrate with fans in new and meaningful ways."

Diageo arrives at the World Cup with two tequila brands pulling in very different creative directions. "This Calls for Casamigos" lands in the top 15% of US ads for Sales Impact (87) and in the top 25% for Brand Impact (77).

"Made to Be Raised" scores 75 for Sales Impact and 65 for Brand Impact. Among soccer fans, both ads achieve impressive results — Sales Impact climbs to 97 for both, Brand Impact to 92 for Casamigos and 94 for Don Julio.

Both ads earn their place in viewers’ minds too. "This Calls for Casamigos" cuts through cleanly — Ad Distinctiveness comes in at 4.0 vs 3.7 norm and Claimed Attention at 4.2 vs 3.9 norm. 

"Made to Be Raised" is equally distinctive in its own right (Ad Distinctiveness at 4.1 vs 3.7 norm, Claimed Attention at 4.1 vs 3.9 norm). In a World Cup advertising landscape crowded with brands competing for the same cultural moment, both ads make themselves seen and remembered.

Love through Laughter vs Love through cinematic storytelling

Love is the emotion connecting these two very different ads — 34% for Casamigos and 35% for Don Julio, against a 27% norm. But how each of them earns it is a story of its own.

"This Calls for Casamigos" is warm from the first second. Love spikes immediately as the celebrities and the FIFA World Cup appear on screen together, and it never drops — holding steadily through the middle of the ad as Laughter builds alongside it. The two emotions run concurrently rather than taking turns, with Laughter peaking as the rivalry escalates. 

Overall Emotion is well above average at 66 vs 57 norm; and the strong Emotional Intensity (23 vs 18 norm) tells us that viewers weren't passively watching, they were actively responding throughout.

"Made to Be Raised" operates on a different emotional frequency. The cinematic opening generates an immediate spike of both Love and Surprise. From there, Love builds gradually and patiently, reaching its peak at the exact moment the product hero shot arrives and the "Made to Be Raised" tagline lands. 

Overall Emotion sits at 57, in line with the norm, but among soccer fans, it climbs to 79. Love reaches 51% with that audience, against a 27% norm. For viewers who already understand what it means to win a World Cup, an ad built entirely around that moment hits differently. The spot very skillfully borrows the emotional weight of football history, making it feel less like a commercial. 

The music — "Por Amor" by Rafael Solano — plays throughout, carrying the emotional narrative from the first frame to the last. As one respondent described it: "I really liked the luxurious, high-energy vibe and the golden cinematography that made the product look so premium. Featuring Thierry Henry gave it instant class, and the 'Made to be Raised' tagline was a perfectly catchy way to tie the whole celebration."

Social occasion vs premium celebration

Category attributes are where each ad's distinct purpose to Diageo’s overall World Cup campaign becomes most visible. "This Calls for Casamigos" drives strong associations with “Great for socializing” (64%), “High quality” (52%), “Great taste” (52%) and “Crafted for sharing” (41%). These are the precise attributes that make a brand the natural choice for a watch party. 

"Made to Be Raised" lands in completely different territory. “High quality” leads at 57%, followed by “Premium/luxury feel” (49%), “Great for socializing” (49%) and “Great taste” (46%). The premium feeling is clearly landing for this premium brand.

How did each ad land these associations? It comes down to deliberate creative choices. For Don Julio, the gold bottle in the opening seconds, the cinematic lighting, the slow-motion shots, and most importantly, the raise — every choice is telling the same premium story. Respondents felt it, saying things like:

"The ad looked premium and visually appealing, with high-quality imagery and a clear focus on the product. It effectively communicated a luxury feel and made the tequila seem special and well-crafted."

"I liked the stylish visuals and the focus on fun social moments. It made the brand feel premium and enjoyable."

Pop culture vs soccer legend casting

The casting choices each brand made are just as deliberate and reveal something about who each ad is really talking to.

"This Calls for Casamigos" cast Gabrielle Union and Keegan-Michael Key — pop culture figures rather than soccer icons. Celebrity Appeal comes in at 4.3 vs 3.9 norm, a standout metric for the ad. Union is recognized by 30% of viewers, Key by 23%. You don’t need to follow soccer to know who these celebrities are. As one respondent put it: "I loved everything about the ad especially the actors. They are cool and funny and humble, I just love them."

"Made to Be Raised" cast Thierry Henry — a FIFA World Cup winner with one of the most iconic moments in soccer history. Here Celebrity Appeal comes in at 3.8 vs 3.9 norm but among soccer fans, it climbs to 4.3. If you know who Thierry Henry is, this ad hits differently. For everyone else, the music carries more of the weight. 

Musical Appeal comes in at 4.2 vs 3.8 norm, climbing to 4.5 among soccer fans. As one respondent said: "Even though I didn't understand the soccer connection, I got that Don Julio is a brand for celebrations.”

The lesson across both ads is the same — cast for the audience you're trying to reach because celebrity value is only as strong as the recognition behind it.

Converting attention into purchase intent

What does all of that translate to commercially? "This Calls for Casamigos" delivers Purchase Uplift of 36% vs 21% norm — even higher for women. Gabrielle Union isn't just the most recognized celebrity in the ad — she's influencing the audience that recognizes her most.

"Made to Be Raised" has a Purchase Uplift of 31% vs 21% norm. Before exposure, Don Julio sits at 19% purchase preference — just behind Patrón and Jose Cuervo. Among soccer fans the conversion goes further — from 21% pre-exposure to 55% post-exposure.

You know a portfolio strategy is working when two brands show up at the same moment, do completely different jobs, and both come out ahead.

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