APEROL + CRODINO
SOUTH BEACH WINE &
FOOD FESTIVAL 2026
the challenge
South Beach Wine & Food Festival isn’t subtle. It’s five days on the oceanfront, packed with celebrity chefs, premium spirits, and thousands of guests navigating a dense landscape of tasting booths and brand builds.
For the festival’s 25th anniversary, Aperol returned with a dual ambition: reinforce Aperol’s dominance in the spritz category while introducing Crodino to the U.S. market with credibility and style.
As official sponsors of the Grand Tasting, both brands were seamlessly integrated into one of the festival’s most high-traffic, high-visibility moments, positioning Aperol as the category leader while giving Crodino a confident, culturally relevant entry point.
The goal wasn’t simply to sample product. It was to create a cultural moment inside a saturated, high-heat environment; one that could hold its own visually, experientially, and strategically.
the SOLUTION
We designed a split-world experience that gave Aperol and Crodino distinct identities within one cohesive 20’ x 30’ footprint.
Crodino came to life through a bold, monochromatic, bodega-inspired build. A ribbed yellow bar served the Crodino Spritz over ice, while layered merchandising positioned the brand as modern, stylish, and discovery-driven. Postcards and faux receipts extended the experience beyond the festival gates, driving awareness of offsite pop-ups.
Aperol’s environment refreshed its signature orange world with updated textures, dimensional forms, and a backlit custom wall. The vinyl bar and neon signage delivered instant recognition, while a “Good Vibes Only” photo moment anchored the space and fueled social sharing.
An open layout encouraged cross-traffic between brands, while embedded QR codes and digital photo delivery integrated CRM capture seamlessly into the experience.
This unified presence balanced visual impact, operational efficiency, and measurable growth.
