How to serve summer…
How do you make an Italian summer staple feel like an American summer signal?
That’s what Aperol asked us. While the rest of the world already equates warm weather with clinking Spritzes, in the U.S., Aperol still floats just outside the core summer psyche. Sure, the drink sees a bump in sales when the sun comes out—but when it comes to cultural association, Aperol isn’t top of mind. They challenged us to change that. To own summer. To create the buzzy moment that says “summer is here”, much like how Mariah Carey defrosts for Christmas but make it Aperol Spritz for Summer.
We won the pitch by proving one thing: Aperol Spritz isn’t just a summer drink—it’s the missing puzzle piece in America’s summer signal. Through deep cultural insights and creative ideas rooted in real behavior, we showed Aperol there are several different opinions to what signals the start of summer, but they could become the unmistakable cue that summer has officially begun.
That led us to June 4th, 2025 a few weeks before the solstice, but right when people start itching for a sign. So we gave them one: hundreds of Aperol-orange waiters, a fleet of buzzing Vespas, and one oversized orange moment in Domino Park. New Yorkers didn’t just take notice—they followed the signal straight to their nearest bar.
Even Queen Brat herself wouldn’t ignore this kind of seasonal call. (Aperol Spritz Summer x Brat Summer collab when???)
So, what are the current signals of summer?
To do that, we needed to understand what “summer” even means in the U.S. and more importantly, what feels like the start of it. So we turned to social listening and survey tools like Quid and OnePulse.
In New York, summer isn’t declared—it’s discovered, in the return of block parties and rooftop events, the thrill of running on grass to claim a spot for an outdoor movie night, and the city’s collective exhale as bikes flood the Brooklyn Bridge and ferry lines form.
In California, it’s the smell of bonfires and the sound of boardwalks reawakening, while locals trade hiking boots for surfboards and stake out wine country picnics.
Florida has its own rituals: locals avoiding the dreaded theme park lines, always having spikeball gear on hand, and pre-beach Publix pilgrimages (fighting for shaded parking spots included).
And in Texas, summer hits when the lake invites you in, whether you’re tubing down San Marcos, paddleboarding Ladybird Lake, or watching a million bats erupt from under Congress Bridge.
Each market had their own flavor of anticipation shared not by date, but by vibe. By social energy. That feeling that something warm, fun, and joyfully chaotic is about to start, with friends or strangers.
