Featured Project: Academia Patrón

The Origins of Academia Patrón

Educational outreach was a core component of the storied spirit’s brand awareness strategy. Under the leadership of a single individual, Patrón set its sights on deepening brand connections internationally by becoming a centralized oracle of tequila truth—considering it’s history, evolution, and cultural significance; let alone the history of the Patrón brand itself.

Five years ago, Patrón Tequila approached us with an interesting challenge. How might we, through technology, support this effort? How might we free up the Patrón experts to focus on creating powerful in-person experiences by augmenting their efforts with a digital curriculum? And how might we not only expand their reach, but create a richer educational experience considering the power and potential of an online learning platform?

The Learning Management System and rich multimedia curriculum that One Design crafted became version 1.0 of Academia Patrón. Squarely targeted at industry professionals, bartenders, and distributors, this was THE place to expand knowledge, getting into the weeds of tequila history, craft, and governance. Beyond a source of information, the platform presented progressive series of lessons complete with self-lead evaluation. Test their knowledge one lesson at a time, participants could become a Patrón-certified tequila expert at the conclusion of the course.

Broadening their reach

As an industry-insider specific platform, Academia Patrón was a huge success within the sales and bartender communities. However in the coming years, Patrón set their sites higher for wider spread reach. How might Academia Patrón connect with tequila enthusiasts at large? How might Academia Patrón connect with the general public?

This meant revisiting the curriculum to appeal to a broader audience, and creating a public-facing portal that would grant any consumer access to this content. That’s where One Design came back to the table.

In partnership with Offsite—who lead an identity refresh for Academia Patrón—we created a new digital home for Academia Patrón to connect with the public, encouraging access to the deep wealth of knowledge and information contained within the platform’s digital textbook.

A digital learning campus

Consider this incarnation of Academia Patrón more than a digital classroom or textbook—it’s more akin to a digital campus. A place to immerse yourself and get lost in a wealth of content and rich experiences. This is the premiere place for industry professionals and tequila enthusiasts alike to receive an expert-level education in tequila. Dive headfirst into the cultural origins of the spirit, the centuries-old artisanal processes that are alive and well today, and the rules, standards, and regulations that govern tequila making. Visit the Hacienda—Patrón’s home base in the highlands of Jalisco—and explore the origins of the Patrón brand, including their artisanal point of view. The online experience is designed to support a growing community of super fans while converting the uninitiated.

Intuitive access to a rich well of content

Understanding where and how to engage users was critical. A mobile-first approach was crucial to ensure effortless navigation on small screens as users navigated nearly 50 pages of content.

The next chapter in the story

The new, public-facing iteration of Academia Patrón is the next chapter in their story—one that brings their wealth of experience and knowledge to the masses. For the One Design team, iterating on our work over the course of many years—supporting the communication evolutions of such a historical luminary in the spirits world—is an absolute honor. The type of working relationship we live for. Salud.