Amor de Barrio

Context

After COVID, bars in Spain, a cornerstone of the country's social life were struggling to recover. Bacardí wanted to revitalize bar culture with an innovative, technology-driven campaign that would establish a direct connection between the brand and consumers.

The problem

The solution had to be simple for two very different audiences at once, consumers and bar owners, while meeting safety and branding standards across multiple international divisions, on tight deadlines. Complexity for the business could never become complexity for the user.

My role & decisions

As project director, I defined the product and campaign strategy and made the quick decisions the deadlines demanded: the campaign's message, promotional materials, brand assets and implementation guidelines.

• I oversaw the design of two interconnected apps: one for consumers, one for bars.
• The consumers app let people redeem a 50% discount on their first drink via QR codes, find participating bars, and get real-time directions, turning consumers into active participants in bringing their neighborhood bars back to life.
• The bars app let owners scan and validate QR codes, track the drinks redeemed each day, and follow the weekly payments Bacardí made for the discounts applied.
• I led a team of 2 UX/UI designers, 1 graphic designer and 5 artists, managing tasks and workflows.
• I planned and supervised usability testing, iterating the designs on user feedback, and coordinated with product, development, marketing and social media teams.

Outcome

• 6 months of continuous activity.
• Implemented in 4 Spanish and 3 Portuguese cities.
• 500 bars joined the campaign.
• Over 500,000 unique users registered in the apps.
• More than 750,000 drinks redeemed, a huge increase in sales.

Beyond the numbers, the campaign proved the effectiveness of a well-executed user experience strategy: by aligning the needs of bars and consumers, it generated a positive and sustainable impact for Grupo Bacardí.