From brand anniversary to bar opportunity: The PR behind Passoã's Taste the Sunset campaign

For Passoã, 2026 marked an important milestone. Forty years after launching as the world's No.1 passion fruit liqueur, the brand was preparing to launch its global summer campaign, Taste the Sunset: a platform celebrating the transition from the working day to spontaneous social moments.

Brought to life through activations including a new Sunset Tracker and partnerships with more than 40 flagship bars worldwide, the campaign is designed to help operators make the most of the growing early-evening occasion.

Our brief was to communicate that opportunity to the hospitality trade across the UK and key European markets. Rather than simply announcing the anniversary campaign, we developed and delivered a trade PR programme that explained why Taste the Sunset mattered commercially, positioning Passoã as a brand that could help venues capitalise on changing consumer behaviour and evolving drinking occasions.

To maximise coverage, we developed a four-step communications strategy, beginning with a trade-first campaign announcement that positioned Taste the Sunset as a business opportunity for operators, rather than simply a 40th anniversary celebration. According to CGA by NIQ's Mixed Drinks Report H2 2024, 63% of consumers now visit the on-trade between 5pm and 8pm, creating new opportunities for venues to drive trade before the traditional evening peak. Our communications focused on showing operators how Passoã's versatility, lighter serves and strong association with social, early-evening occasions made it well placed to meet that demand.

We then secured thought leadership and interview opportunities for Laura De Groot-Trivulzio, Global CMO at The Lucas Bols Company, to explore changing consumer trends and Passoã's continued relevance behind the bar.

Alongside this, we also developed a suite of seasonal cocktail recipes, overseeing both recipe development and campaign imagery to create ongoing editorial opportunities as operators refreshed their menus.

And finally, we also negotiated advertorial partnerships with key hospitality publications to extend reach and reinforce campaign messaging across the trade. Together, this approach gave journalists multiple reasons to cover Passoã beyond the initial launch, combining news, expert insight and practical menu inspiration.

The campaign secured consistent coverage across the hospitality and drinks trade throughout spring 2026, reaching operators, buyers and bartenders across the UK and Europe.

Results included:

• More than 30 pieces of trade coverage

• Coverage across the UK, international and European hospitality media

• Features in leading titles including PR Week, The Spirits Business, Drinks Business, Bar Magazine, BeverageDaily, Retail Times, Global Drinks Intel, The Grocer and many more

• Ongoing thought leadership and feature opportunities beyond the campaign launch

• Seasonal recipe placements that extended campaign visibility throughout the year

• Coverage spanning the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Nordics and Benelux, alongside international drinks media

For Passoã, the campaign wasn't simply about celebrating 40 years behind the bar. It was about reinforcing why the world's original passion fruit liqueur continues to be relevant to today's hospitality industry.

And for Quince, it was another example of how strategic trade communications can turn a brand milestone into a commercial opportunity.