An orange cocktail in a wine glass has graced many of our hands during the steamy summer months, but where did this famous Italian drink come from?
In 1860, Gaspare Campari created a Milanese liqueur so distinct that no one dared to alter the concoction. 1915, the Camparino was created inside the Galleria in Milan, and the aperitivo was created. A small pre-dinner drink with small snacks got ahold of the Milanese people, and it became a steadfast part of the Italian culture.
In 1920, the Negroni was created, and at the same time, Campari began breaking out into the art world, dawning Leonetto Capiello’s famous orange peel-wrapped Spiritello. This became a new advertising movement, moving into organic shapes and geometrical designs, specifically by Fortunato Depero, 1928, which pushed the Campari group into a new category in the liquor world.
Image: Campari Group
In the late 1940s, after a forced war hiatus, the brand collaborated with artist Carlo Fisanotti in a new campaign, giving the Red Passion a new vision and breaking it into success. This also allowed the liquor to break into the world of sports, linking it to a whole new category and audience.
From the 1940s to the 1980s, Campari entered luxurious lifestyles through economic growth and lifestyle. Campari was also displayed in cinema in the iconic Federico Fellini’s first short film, “A Moder Fairytale,” of 1984.
Image: Campari Group
Campari was an easy way to network and show status, from movie stars on the big screen to those at a high-end restaurant holding a Negroni.
The Campari Group has been incredibly successful in advertising, using its signature red to communicate sensuality, status, and luxury, even without using the signature Campari bottle in a photo.
A bit later than Campari, Aperol was created in 1919 by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri within their father’s existing liqueur company. It took around seven years to perfect the Aperol recipe, but soon after, the drink became famous all over Italy, specifically in Padua and Venice.
In 1950, the Aperol Spritz was created. At this time, Aperol also took hold of the intense advertising world and became an international sensation. Aperol builds strong ties to consumers through art, music, lifestyle choices, and advertising campaigns and succeeds with its product throughout Italy and the world.
In 2003, Campari purchased Aperol and pushed the Aperol Spritz toward trendy members of Venetian society. Campari covered Milan, and Aperol covered Venice, although the two started to merge and became more widespread throughout Italy.
The drink remains a “trendy” piece of society, although it has become much more mainstream and accessible than it used to be twenty years ago. It can still be considered a “little luxury” as the price point of the beverage at most places outside of small bars and cafes in Italy is very high. Still, it is now relatively easy to find and is not limited to only those leading a luxurious lifestyle.
Aperol as a company has now become a retail mastermind, establishing “Terrazza Aperol” in multiple Italian cities and bringing the entire world of Aperol to consumers. Not only is each Terraza complete with an orange bar and merchandise available for purchase, but every aspect of the experience is branded, from the cup to the coaster to the toothpick of the complimentary snack with every spritz served.
Images: @aperoluasa
The original location is in a small terrazza in Venice. Now, one overlooks none other than the Duomo in Milan, Italy, giving consumers a chance to overlook the gorgeous Duomo with a striking orange drink in hand.
Images: Megan Stockton
The company also has pop-ups at music festivals, events, ski resorts, sporting events, and more in the US and Europe. Its presence in multiple markets and across various channels makes its reach successful and what made its “lifestyle” a possibility.
Image: @djsamlow in Vienna
With the entire view of Aperol as a lifestyle, the drink would be as popular. A decade ago, it wasn’t as popular or accessible for as many Americans to be traveling to Italy for vacations and holidays. So, it was up to specific people to spread the word before everything was available on the internet. Of course, Aperol had made its way to America, but it was not as easy to order an Aperol Spritz at a bar without getting a weird look from a bartender or waiter or possibly having to look up the recipe. The “oh, that’s what that’s for!” look at the bottle of Aperol isn’t as common anymore, thanks to people like the Chody sisters who integrated Aperol Spritzes into their lifestyle content and popularized the drink on a much more casual level.
During economic uncertainty, something like a bit of luxury, usually seen as lipstick, provides consumers enough satisfaction that they are doing well. Similar to the original idea of Campari, Aperol Spritz delivers consumers the satisfaction of a bit of luxury, a status symbol, and a brief transportation to an Italy trip.
Images: @hannahchody, @brettsbites
It can be thought that Hannah and Brett Chody helped Aperol Spritz rise to the insane popularity that it has today. Older sister Hannah, commonly with a spritz in hand and a typical visitor to Italy, made Bachelorette merch “Aperitivo Club” for her wedding and later started selling it for her branding. Younger sister Brett Chody created the “Poppi Spritz” using Poppi’s Orange Soda in place of the classic soda water or tonic water, crafting the perfect summer beverage for a specific, health-conscious group of people through her Instagram community @brettsbites.
Image: @brettsbites
This significantly boosted Poppi awareness, with thousands posting their version of Brett’s Bites Aperol Spritz, putting a fun twist on a classic summer drink.
Image: @aperitivoclub
It is difficult to go to a restaurant now and not see an Aperol Spritz gracing the menu, proving its influx into our culture and its influence and importance in transporting us on vacation in a glass. This slightly bitter, carbonated, surprisingly strong, yet refreshing beverage will surely wow anyone who tries it.
Aperol Spritz as a drink has become a viral feat, but the drink transcends more than something in a glass; it is a lifestyle choice. Retail stores are brimming with Aperol Spritz-inspired merchandise, with everything from Hannah’s Aperitivo Club sweatshirt to Aperol Spritz perfume, Aperol brand’s new official merchandise line inspired by tennis, signature glasses, home fragrances, home paint, bottles cut into drinking glasses, t-shirts, swim trunks, prints, mirrors, pool floats, racing jerseys,
Olfactory NYC Aperol Spritz Perfume
Anthropologie Aperol Spritz Shirt
Aperol Spritz Coffee Table Book
Aperol Spritz Retrofitted Cups
Haus of Moods Aperol Spritz Shirt
Milk Paint Aperol Spritz Paint
MC2Saint Barth Aperol Spritz Swim Trunks
Aperol Spritz has become a lifestyle. It has entered every corner of life, from athletics to music festivals to your signature scent. The color alone is recognizable as its branding and communicates a message of a bit of luxury from miles away.
Image: Aperol USA
The Campari Group, owner of Campari, Aperol, and many other liquor brands has achieved unprecedented success following Aperol's lifestyle success in recent years. Once a brand infiltrates from a product to an unmistakable aspect of its consumers’ lives, it is utterly successful.
In conclusion, the journey of the Aperol Spritz from a classic Italian aperitivo to a global lifestyle phenomenon encapsulates the essence of strategic branding and cultural resonance. Its transformation from a Venetian and Milanese tradition to a symbol of leisure and sophistication underscores the effectiveness of combining iconic visuals, savvy marketing, and authentic lifestyle integration. Through strategic moves like the merger of Campari and Aperol, targeted advertising, and creative partnerships, the Aperol Spritz has managed to infuse itself into various facets of modern life, from upscale events to everyday pleasures.
This retail transformation reflects broader trends in consumer behavior, where products that embody a particular lifestyle or aspirational quality command significant market influence. The Aperol Spritz’s ability to permeate various retail segments—from fashion to home decor—demonstrates the power of integrating product and lifestyle, driving consumer demand across diverse categories.
As we turn the corner into fall, Aperol Spritz's appeal remains undiminished. It seamlessly adapts to seasonal shifts while delivering a touch of luxury and a hint of escapism into Italian culture. The season of Spritz may evolve, but its vibrant presence and cultural impact are here to stay, offering a splash of sophistication no matter the weather outside.
