George Clooney’s renowned tequila brand Casamigos has managed to triumph over some notable celebrity alcohol brands, including Dwayne Johnson’s Teremana Tequila and Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, in one significant metric that illustrates user interest and popularity.
According to a list shared by media brand Boardroom on Instagram, these businesses, alongside some other notable celebrity-backed alcohol companies, have raked in impressive search volume on Google.
However, outrivaling those numbers at the top is Casamigos, founded in 2013 by actor George Clooney, Rande Gerber, and Mike Meldman. Since 2017, it has been owned by British multinational alcoholic beverage company Diageo. This is not an unusual feat for the tequila brand, as it leads several other reports with its stature as one of the best-ranking celebrity spirits brands.
George Clooney’s Alcohol Brand Outnumbers Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds’ In Search Volume
On Instagram, Boardroom published a list of celebrity-backed alcohol brands and their standings next to one another in regard to search volume.
Among the list are notable figures, such as Jay-Z, Conor McGregor, Bob Dylan, Kendal Jenner, etc., and their respective undertakings. Based on Google searches, George Clooney‘s Casamigos reportedly brought in a volume of 1.04M, thus placing itself at the #1 position.
In the second spot, it’s rapper and record producer Jay-Z with his Armand de Brignac Champagne brand. Conor McGregor’s Proper No. Twelve precedes Dwayne ‘The Rock‘ Johnson’s Teremana Tequila. The latter took up the #4 place with 259k in search volume.
As for Ryan Reynolds‘ Aviation American Gin, which was sold to Diageo in 2020, its 91k search volume has allowed it to snag the #7 spot. Reynolds invested in it in 2018 and promoted it extensively.
This metric indicates that these particular brands have piqued the attention of consumers and prospective customers, further contributing to their commerciality. With countless celebrities, from athletes to actors to musicians, all promoting their own alcohol brands in recent years, the competition has escalated.
Take Johnson’s Teremana, for example, which reportedly sold one million cases over the 12 months between April 2022-2023 (via The Spirits Business). Similarly, Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation was apparently the number-three-selling gin brand as of January 2023 on Drizly, an online ordering and delivery platform.
And yet, Casamigos finds itself at a stable place, and it has been attributed to something beyond Clooney’s fame and renown.
George Clooney’s Co-Founded Tequila Brand Is One Of The Top Celebrity Spirits Brand
According to The Drinks Business, Casamigos was named the fastest-growing spirits brand in 2022. The report mentioned that it tripled its brand value at the time. Owned by Diageo, who purchased it in 2017 for a whopping $1B (via The Guardian), its Casamigos Blanco was listed as one of the top-selling tequilas in 2023 by Drizly, an alcohol delivery service, according to The Spirits Business.
Furthermore, Union’s OnPrem Insights offered an expansive look into Casamigos‘ popularity on an actual on-premise basis.
According to the report, the tequila company was among the most renowned celebrity spirit brands at Union venues across the U.S. They confirmed that the niche Celebrity Spirits market is expanding gradually but rapidly on-premise. However, leading this growth is Casamigos, which boasts a 91.2% sales share of celebrity spirits.
Union’s Chief Growth Officer Gary Ross said of this unprecedented feat:
“George Clooney’s Casamigos is a tough act to follow. Casamigos launched a decade ago, so the brand’s advantage is not just from Clooney’s celebrity power. They practically invented the premium Tequila market.”
Union ultimately ranked Casamigos as the Top Celebrity Tequila and Mezcal brand. Following it in the second spot is The Rock’s Teremana. They further stated that Casamigos leads in sales, whether by item or brand.
Attesting to Casamigos‘ buzz was also Brand Finance‘s Alcoholic Drinks 2023 report, which noted the growth of the premium tequila category. Here, 1800 and Casamigos were deemed the fastest-growing Spirit brands.
As per Rolling Stone, founders Rande Gerber and Clooney had always wanted to make “the best-tasting, smoothest tequila that didn’t have to be covered up with salt or lime.” This was their guiding principle before Casamigos came to be.
The Diageo-owned company is evidently a favorite among the masses, and it’s no shock to see its impressive growth attributed mainly to its organic word-of-mouth marketing.
