Six months after its acquisition by Diageo Beer Company, Texas-based Lone River Beverage Company has tapped into the marketing resources of its parent company with the launch of its first ever national campaign.
The 60-second commercial at the center of the “Follow It West” campaign, starring Oscar- and Grammy-winning singer songwriter Ryan Bingham, can’t get any closer to the brand’s origin story — it was filmed on Calamity Creek, the West Texas ranch where Lone River founder and CEO Katie Beal Brown’s family has worked the land for generations.
“We started Lone River with a simple story, a story 100 years in the making,” Beal Brown said in a press release. “This was always a long play for us, to build a legacy that celebrates the culture connected to Ranch Water. A culture emblematic of the American West.
“We knew the only way to share this story with a national audience was to give people a taste of the real deal – out on our family’s ranch in Far West Texas with the cowboys, cowgirls and ranchers from the area,” she continued.
Beal Brown founded Lone River in 2019 based on the traditional recipe for ranch water, a classic Texas cocktail of tequila, soda water and lime juice, but with hard seltzer as a base. Diageo acquired the brand in March, and it was the best selling ranch water in the U.S. at off-premise retailers in the 52 weeks ending August 14, according to NielsenIQ data cited in the release.
In addition to the original cocktail, Lone River Ranch Water is also available in Spicy, Rio Red Grapefruit and Prickly Pear. Each 12 oz. can checks in at 80 calories and 4% ABV. It is available in 48 states and will add Utah and West Virginia to complete nationwide distribution by the end of September, according to a spokesperson.
In addition to the commercial, which depicts Bingham and “real cowgirls and cowboys from West Texas” on horseback, the campaign includes “a large investment” in the fourth session premier of the Paramount Network’s Yellowstone, in which Bingham has a recurring role. Bingham and Lone River have signed a one-year partnership that includes appearances and performances, the spokesperson said.
“When I think of ranch water, I’m instantly reminded of my time spent in West Texas and the way of life out there,” Bingham said in the release. “I think of days working cattle, nights writing songs and a cold beverage at the end of a long day. Lone River is a success because it’s as authentic as it gets. We are on a ranch, we are working cattle and we are building fences — this campaign is the real deal.”
“Ryan Bingham felt like such a natural partner to help us tell our humble story on a grander scale,” Beal Brown added. “His music has been the soundtrack that has inspired so much of our journey, and we immediately connected through our shared roots in Far West Texas.”
The campaign will also include digital, social, audio and out-of-home advertising, as well as point-of-sale support, and “a sizable presence” at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December.