Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are setting golden standards for couple goals in advertising with the release of a new ad for the actress’s drink mixer brand Betty Buzz, created by ad agency Maximum Effort, owned by her husband.
To celebrate National Gin and Tonic Day on April 9, the 20-second spot titled “Tonic & Gin” focuses on the importance of tonic, as opposed to gin, in the cult cocktail pairing.
Smooth jazz music and a deep voice narrate shots of Lively mixing a gin and tonic drink. The tonic in question is her brand of drink mixer Betty Buzz, while the gin being used is none other than Reynolds’ gin label Aviation American Gin.
Throughout the spot, the narrator proceeds to list other legendary pairings: “Watson and Holmes. Cheese and Mac. Jelly and peanut butter.” He concludes with perhaps the most significant pairing in history. “It’s a real Juliet and Romeo love story.”
By flipping the script on these classic pairings, the ad once again places focus on the relevance of the often-underrated tonic in a high-quality gin and tonic pairing. In this classic old-fashioned spot, simplicity is key, relying on the couple’s star status to bring the high-quality product and elegant packaging design to life for audiences.
Lively credits herself as a non-alcohol drinker, another reason why she is focusing her creative efforts on a drink mixer as opposed to an alcoholic beverage. “I know that’s odd coming from the wife of an infamous gin slinger,” she says on the brand's website, referencing her husband’s gin label.
Betty Buzz’s first ad campaign, released just last year, was also directed by Maximum Effort and follows a similar style.
