Vietnam’s alcoholic beverage market is witnessing a clear shift in the way young consumers spend their time and socialize. Rather than late-night parties, younger audiences are increasingly drawn to more effortless social settings where they can unwind, connect and maintain a refined sense of personal style. This shift presents a new challenge for the spirits industry: how to maintain and expand its relevance among a changing consumer base.
For Aperol, the Italian aperitivo brand is looking to grow its local following in Vietnam. The question is: where is the opportunity to introduce a new drinking ritual?
From a Global Touchpoint to a Desire to Win Over Local Consumers
Aperol Spritz is an iconic aperitivo cocktail made with Aperol, best known for its vibrant orange hue and balanced bittersweet, herbal notes. Rooted in the Italian aperitivo culture and enjoyed across Europe, Aperol Spritz has become a familiar fixture at social gatherings inspired by a distinctly European way of life.
When it entered the Vietnamese market, Aperol Spritz quickly established strong awareness among communities with international lifestyles. However, expanding its appeal to Vietnamese consumers, especially younger audiences, remained a significant challenge. Inspire was proud to partner with Aperol on this campaign, with the mission of taking this vibrant icon beyond its international audience and bringing it closer to Vietnam’s young community.
Decoding Habits and Shaping a New Drinking Moment
To bring this ambition to life, understanding young consumers’ behavior became the starting point. While the orange Aperol bottle had already gained a certain level of recognition, Vietnamese consumers were still less familiar with why they should choose Aperol Spritz over other beer and spirit options — and when the right moment to enjoy it might be.
The campaign’s target audience is a group of active young people who value meaningful social experiences and a strong sense of aesthetics in their lifestyle. After a long day at work, they look for a moment to slow down in the late afternoon and leave the day’s hustle behind.
From this insight, Inspire developed a new drinking ritual designed around young consumers. Sunset was positioned as the perfect cue to switch off from the demands of the day. The late afternoon became a purposeful pause — a moment for like-minded people to connect, unwind and fully enjoy each other’s company.
Three Strategic Pillars to Shape the Brand’s Role
From this challenge, the communication strategy was built around three core pillars, designed to educate the target audience while encouraging them to confidently choose Aperol for their social occasions.
The first, “Make it relevant” positioned Aperol within authentic and relevant social moments. Next, “Make it socially endorsed” turned the drink into a trusted choice through the influence of familiar and distinctive voices within the community. Finally, “Make it repeatable” ensured the brand remained consistently present in consumers’ minds.
By tapping into the shift in drinking habits, this approach successfully transformed sunset into a distinctive drinking moment owned by the brand.
Turning a Global Message into a Vietnamese Way of Living
Building on the global campaign platform, “Switch Off. Spritz On. Enjoy The Sunset Life.”, Inspire localized the message into “Chill Chuẩn Ý” — a phrase that naturally resonates with the language and lifestyle of young Vietnamese consumers while retaining the spirit of Aperol’s Italian aperitivo culture.
The idea went beyond introducing a drink. It became an invitation to put work aside, switch into relaxation mode and fully enjoy the sunset in an unmistakably Chill Chuẩn Ý way.
The combination of Aperol’s authentic Italian character and the after-work social habits of young Vietnamese consumers created a relevant drinking occasion. A simple moment of meeting friends at the end of the day became the foundation for the brand to move beyond its image as a distant global icon.
Aperol became a choice that young Vietnamese consumers could actively recognize, share and seek out as part of their own social experiences.
Influencers as the Bridge Between Brand and Everyday Life
To bring the communication platform to life, Inspire partnered with 21 influencers whose energetic lifestyles and personal aesthetics closely aligned with the brand. Beyond generating reach, these creators played a key role in bringing the Aperol experience closer to young consumers.
By showing up in familiar moments – such as casual meet-ups with friends at the end of the day – Aperol’s signature orange gradually became part of the visual language of sunset.
The content journey was designed around three connected phases. First, influencers captured attention through trend-led videos, directly filming themselves making a perfectly mixed Aperol Spritz while subtly revealing details of the upcoming program.
Next, they joined the event series in Saigon, sharing authentic moments of enjoying the sunset together. Finally, the story continued through post-event content, allowing their experiences to live on and reinforcing Aperol as the perfect catalyst for end-of-day gatherings.
Amplifying the Brand Story Through PR
Alongside the momentum created by influencers, Inspire developed the PR strategy across two key phases to guide consumer awareness.
The first article served as a teaser, drawing on the culture of aperitivo to introduce a more relaxed and refined approach to socializing. At the same time, the content subtly revealed the upcoming event series, building curiosity and anticipation among readers.
The second article continued the story. Rather than simply recapping the events, it reinforced the campaign’s appeal and demonstrated how Aperol’s signature orange had moved beyond an event setting to become a familiar part of young consumers’ everyday social rituals.
To maximize reach, Znews and Kênh14 were selected as the campaign’s key media platforms. Their strong relevance among young audiences, combined with broad reach and established credibility, helped the brand story travel further.
Together, the campaign’s touchpoints worked in rhythm, turning digital attention into a desire for real-life experiences rather than stopping at a single event.
Strategic Impact and Key Results
The campaign closed with results that reflected its ability to connect with the target audience. Through the collaboration with 21 influencers and nearly 100 pieces of social content, the campaign generated 1.5 million views and more than 100,000 engagements.
Beyond the numbers, Aperol successfully took an important first step toward establishing a deeper connection with the local market. The brand was not only positioned as an international lifestyle icon, but also became closely associated with sunset moments, after-work gatherings and the art of slowing down and enjoying the moment among young Vietnamese consumers.
