Many Israelis have already come across photos of this blue-and-white decorated bottle – Clase Azul Reposado tequila – in the stories of celebs or at luxury parties. But while the Mexican brand tries to build an image of an unattainable premium product, it turns out that it’s being sold between the shelves of canned goods at the Osher Ad supermarket chain, for only NIS 799.
Clase Azul is indeed making marketing efforts to look like an upscale drink, with a handmade decorated ceramic bottle and a price tag of a thousand shekels or more in bars and wine shops. The brand also boasts an especially long production process, including 72 hours of cooking and aging in oak barrels. But in reality, all of this aura of luxury shatters when it is discovered that the bottle can be found in the religious food chain known for its low prices.
It’s not the first time luxury brands have tried to maintain an exclusive image while being sold at discount prices. But the case of Clase Azul stands out in particular: While sports stars like Eran Zahavi and singers like Eyal Golan are photographed with the stylish bottle in lounges and clubs, Osher Ad customers can toss it into their carts along with weekend deals.
The announcement of the sale of the luxury tequila at Osher Ad sparked a wave of amusing reactions on social media. "How do you sell tequila for NIS 800 next to a 15.90-shekel Krembo?" wondered one user. Others criticized the price itself: "Besides the cool design, what justifies the price? Is it 20 years old? Gold flakes? Distilled 500 times?" Some also questioned the target audience: "People who spend 800 shekels on tequila buy it at Osher Ad????", while others were more direct: "I don’t drink that crap."
So maybe it’s time to admit that in today’s world, the aura of luxury in alcohol brands is mainly a matter of marketing and image. Or, as they say in Mexico – not everything that shines is tequila.