Topo Chico’s 130-Year Campaign Transforms Mexican Myth into Marketing Magic

In a category saturated with polished minimalism and trend-driven launches, Topo Chico is taking a very different approach to brand-building by diving deep into the myth, magic, and mystery of its Mexican roots.

A brand born of legend, Topo Chico is celebrating its 130th anniversary by unveiling a cinematic campaign steeped in folklore and brought to life by none other than acclaimed Mexican director and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. The result? A visual anthology that feels more like myth-making than marketing, blending magical realism, historical texture, and cultural reverence into a world that’s as expansive as it is effervescent.

Rooted in the legend of a healing spring, Topo Chico’s origin story has always carried a certain mystique. Now, this mythology becomes the campaign’s creative engine – reimagined through rich visuals, vintage packaging, and timeless storytelling that celebrates Mexico’s cultural depth while inviting new audiences to join the cult of Topo.

Here, LBB’s April Summers chats to Luke Perkins, The Coca-Cola Company group director, creative strategy, to get the inside scoop.For creatives, food and bev marketers, and storytellers alike, this campaign is a masterclass in turning heritage into legend – and legend into brand power.

LBB> Topo Chico turning 130 is a big one for the brand! How did you approach the challenge of honoring such a deep heritage while keeping the creative work fresh and forward-looking?

Luke> Absolutely, 130 years is no small milestone, especially for a brand with such deep cultural roots. For Topo Chico, the heritage is rich, rooted in Mexico, and full of myth and mystery – but it’s also deeply relevant to today’s culture. We leaned into that duality.
The creative approach for the anniversary campaign was all about honouring the spirit and stories that made Topo Chico iconic, while reimagining them in a way that feels fresh, cinematic, and unexpected. The result is a body of work that bridges generations and expands the legend, rather than simply retelling it.

LBB> This campaign is steeped in myth and visual storytelling, from the limited-edition bottles to the video anthology. What was the strategy behind using nostalgia and folklore to drive cultural relevance today?

Luke> Topo Chico has always lived at the intersection of culture, curiosity, and legend – and that’s exactly where we wanted to play with this campaign. The stories we tell in the anthology aren’t just throwbacks, they’re larger-than-life origin myths, layered with magic, mischief, and cultural texture.

We didn’t want to create nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, we wanted to invite people into a world where the brand has always had a mythical quality. By bringing these tales to life visually and pairing them with limited-edition vintage packaging, we’re reinforcing that this brand has real history – and that history still has relevance and resonance today.

LBB> You collaborated with celebrated Mexican director and cinematographer, Rodrigo Prieto, to bring the brand’s mythology to life. How did Rodrigo put his own unique spin on the vision? And why was this cinematic approach right for the brand, and what role did storytelling play in the broader campaign strategy?

Luke> Rodrigo Prieto and Rodrigo Valdes really brought the scripts to life; it was a dream partnership. They both bring such a deep, intuitive connection to Mexican culture – it’s in their visual language, their creative instincts, their storytelling approach.

Rodrigo Prieto’s lens added a cinematic layer that elevated the campaign beyond advertising; it became a piece of folklore in itself. This was about immersing people in a time, a place, and a legacy.

Storytelling sits at the heart of Topo Chico, and using a filmic, anthology-style format allowed us to explore that legacy with scale and imagination. The creative was filmed on location in Mexico, and we brought in a historian from Mexico to ensure accuracy across wardrobe, set design, and more – making every detail feel true to the culture and time period, and grounding the work in both visual richness and cultural authenticity.

LBB> With Topo Chico's aggressive national expansion in the U.S., how does this campaign help reposition the brand in new markets without losing its distinctly Mexican identity?

Luke> Topo Chico’s roots are proudly Mexican and that’s not something we ever want to dilute. In fact, it’s our biggest strength. We reframed the story so Topo Chico fans can find the brand in more places, while inviting new people into the Topo Chico brand. The goal isn’t reinvention – it’s amplification.

This campaign brings the heart of Topo to life through storytelling that feels globally compelling but deeply authentic. Whether you’ve been drinking Topo for decades or are just discovering it for the first time in a new market, the brand shows up with the same mysterious and energetic spirit – unlike anything else on the shelf.

LBB> As someone who’s worked on everything from cars to climate to soda, what drew you to this particular project? And what do you think sets it apart creatively from campaigns you’ve led in the past?

Luke> I was already a genuine fan of Topo Chico long before I ever had the chance to work on the brand. But once I got closer to it – learning its history, meeting the people behind it, and hearing the stories from those who love it – I felt something deeper. My team and I weren’t just building a campaign; we were becoming stewards of a legacy. Every detail, every decision had to reflect the same care and craft that’s in every bottle. It became personal.

LBB> The campaign will unfold over the course of the next year – how are you thinking about momentum, cultural touchpoints, and evolving the story over time to keep audiences engaged?

Luke> We’re not treating this as a single moment because it’s a year-long celebration told in timeless stories. The campaign was built to evolve and show up across multiple channels and touchpoints: social, experiential, OOH, even packaging. The idea is to continue revealing new layers of the legend, to keep audiences curious and connected.

Some activations are still under wraps, but we’ll be showing up in unexpected ways – always with that sense of myth and mischief that makes Topo Chico feel a little larger than life. It’s about building a universe around the brand and inviting fans to explore it over time.