Peggy Gou: “I wanted to create a bottle that stops you in your tracks the moment you see it.”
Fans of South Korean DJ and style icon Peggy Gou will already have clocked that she has partnered with Diageo’s most prestigious tequila brand, Don Julio 1942, to promote a limited release of the spirit. It has been renamed Tequila Don Julio 194구 (구 is Korean for Gou, the surname fortuitously rhyming with two).
The move from Don Julio is significant because this is the brand’s first global product collaboration designed to build on stellar tequila/agave sales growth for Diageo in a declining spirits market last year, according to IWSR. Gou is a good choice as the brand has already made inroads into the nightlife and music culture scene, so a big-scale DJ collab was an obvious next step.
Gou, a Forbes 30 under 30 in 2019, hasn’t just slapped her name on the product, like some celebrities have. The bottle has been “entirely designed” by her, and Diageo says that it “perfectly embodies her signature aesthetic: a blend of high-end fashion and bleeding-edge street style.” The DJ, who also designed the box, said: “I wanted to create a bottle that stops you in your tracks the moment you see it.”
Before the official global launch in New York on April 2, Diageo had already primed consumers with a teaser campaign using mysterious clues, including the 194구 logo in high-traffic areas around the world, and Gou conspicuously wearing the 194구 logo at recent shows. Other event cities include London, Milan, Seoul, and Hong Kong to keep the global excitement going.
The good news for Gou’s fans is that, as well as domestic markets, where the limited edition might be selling out, they can also find Don Julio 194구 in airport retail, but only at a handful of gateways. It can also be found online through U.S. drinks delivery platforms such as Minibar and Reserve Bar, if their retail partners still have it in stock.
Peggy Gou takes flight
From this month, Don Julio 194구—with a recommended price of $225 for 750ml in North America and 700ml elsewhere—has been offered for a limited-time at Dubai International Airport (only in stores in Terminal 3, where arrivals store have just been revamped), London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2 and Terminal 5, Barcelona Airport’s T1, Singapore Changi Airport, and Mexico’s Cancun Airport in T3. Diageo said it would be widening the availability to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, South Korea’s Seoul Incheon, Madrid, and Istanbul airports.
Various teaser campaigns started in New York and are now in other cities across the world.
The limited initial locations, down to specific terminals, are due to the small quantities available for both domestic and travel retail locations. Andrew Cowan, managing director of Diageo Global Travel, said the collab marked “Don Julio’s first-ever culture limited-time offering” and that it would appeal to “discerning global travelers looking for something special.” The division told me that it could not disclose the exact number of bottles “for commercial reasons.” A spokesperson added: “It’s safe to say that availability is very exclusive and demand is already high.”
Diageo Global Travel’s choice of airports reflects both their international appeal and deeper connection with Gou. “For example, Peggy originates from South Korea, so we thought it was imperative to stock this release in Seoul, while Cancun is a hub synonymous with tequila. As for Heathrow, we know that when travelers pass through, they are often looking for the hottest collabs, so this was fitting,” said a spokesperson for the division.
In 2023, Don Julio ran a luxury pop-up at Heathrow’s T5 complete with a playlist
and in-person appearance from London-born, New York-based DJ and music producer Kayper. The brand was hoping for sales to high-end travelers heading to summer clubbing hotspots like Berlin, Cyprus, and Ibiza.
Peggy Gou’s cultural relevance is helping Diageo
Don Julio is the world’s biggest tequila according to IWSR 2023 data that tracks retail sales value. The brand’s portfolio is a big one and is a driver of Diageo’s overall sales. In the first six months (July to December 2024) of the drinks giant’s current financial year, the tequila segment (which also includes Casamigos, co-founded by George Clooney) grew by 21%, versus 1% for the company as a whole.
It was Don Julio, with net sales up by 50% in value terms and gaining share in the U.S. market, that did the heavy lifting, particularly Don Julio Reposado, while Casamigos declined. Specifically in the huge United States market, Don Julio’s net sales stormed ahead by 62%. Diageo claims this is due to the brand’s “cultural relevance and successful targeted activations,” and it hopes the Peggy Gou campaign will further strengthen this appeal with consumers.
In the six months to December, Don Julio shipments grew as distributors stocked up to accommodate strong consumer demand. In the same period, Casamigos’ net sales declined 22% as a result of increased category competition in this price segment.
