Martha Stewart Takes on the 'DIY January' Challenge for Tito's Handmade Vodka

It’s dry January, so you might not be drinking. But if you have Tito’s Handmade Vodka lying around, don’t just stare at it – use it. Today, Tito’s announced it’s teaming up with Martha Stewart for a campaign with a Tito’s twist, showcasing how dry January can easily become 'DIY January.'

The month-long campaign from Arts & Letters Creative Co., anchored by a 60-second video starring the DIY queen and lifestyle expert herself, calls on those not imbibing for the month to get crafty and shows how to use Tito’s in everyday household tasks. The whimsical montage follows Martha as she uses the vodka to say goodbye to musty boot smells, give pasta sauce a little extra kick (and then some), and in a variety of other ridiculous ways. Ultimately, the video ends on a martini glass and an expletive.

“We understand that Tito’s drinkers might choose to opt out of drinking this month to partake in dry January, and we support them in doing that,” said Taylor Berry, VP of brand marketing at Tito’s Handmade Vodka. “We’ll still be here when February rolls around, but we wanted to offer up some helpful alternate ways to use our vodka until then. And if you decide dry January or ‘DIY January’ is not for you? That's ok, we support Dry Martini January as well.”

To complement the video, Tito’s is launching a limited-edition collection of DIY January bottle-topper attachments for those that want to try out the tasks for themselves. The toppers can be purchased at store.titosvodka.com for $10 USD, with all net proceeds going to the customer's choice of non-profit that the brand has teamed up with. The DIY January bottle-topper attachments include:

• The Deodoriser: Add a spritz to musty fabrics. Save the rest for February.
• The Flavoriser: If you can’t drink Tito’s, make penne alla vodka and eat Tito’s.
  
• The Cleaneriser: Perfect for cleaning things, and definitely not drinking.

Tito’s has also released an extended list of tips and tricks to utilise Tito’s during dry January.

Tito’s DIY January Tips & Tricks

1. Deodorise Shoes: A fresh start in January means de-musting, de-cluttering, and de-odorising. Start by spraying Tito’s into your most-loved shoes. You’ll thank us later.  

2. Pasta Sauce: Winter is made for pasta like February 1st is made for a Tito’s martini. Take ordinary pasta sauce (fresh tomatoes, basil, or someone strong enough to open the jar that you forgot about in the back of your pantry) and give it a kick. Just add ~1/3 cup of Tito’s and make Martha proud.

3. Cleaning Mirrors and Windows: Dry January has a couple cousins, one being: 'Clean Everything in Your House' January. Good thing you’ve got unused Tito’s. Just spray it directly on mirrors, windows, anything glass, and see nothing but streak-free shine.

4. Preserving Fresh Cut Flowers: What puts the 'fresh' in a fresh new year? Fresh-cut flowers. Keep ‘em fresh for longer and add a spoonful of Tito’s to your vase filled with water. Like Martha says, 'they’ll smell like February.'

5. Pie Crust: Flaky. Not-so-ideal quality in friends. Great quality in pie crusts. Just add ¼ cup of Tito’s to your dough before baking and everyone will be asking for seconds.

6. Room Spray: Cold weather have you dreaming of beach season? And were you gifted a diffuser and 14 bottles of essential oils because you've been 'stressed lately?' Just add a few drops of one of your favourites to a bottle of Tito’s, add a spritz top, and spray away the cold weather blues (and the stress). We recommend using a smaller size bottle of Tito’s since you can’t drink it once you add the essential oils!

7. De-Ice Your Windshield: If it takes 18 minutes to get to work, nine minutes to scrape your windshield after last night’s frost, and you woke up 23 minutes late, do you stop for coffee on the way? If you answered yes, let us help. Mix one-part room-temperature water with two-parts Tito’s, then spray or pour over your windshield for a quick de-icing. Now, you’ll be nine minutes early. Don’t think too hard about it, just enjoy the coffee.

8. Vanilla Extract: Picture this: You make a batch of cookies for your friend, they take a bite, and are like "wow, delicious, what's the recipe?" And you're like, "Super simple, start with your homemade vanilla extract..." and then they're like, "wow are you Martha Stewart?" And then you wink at a fictional camera. This can be your reality. Slice vanilla beans in half lengthwise (you’ll want two vanilla beans per eight ounces of Tito’s) and drop into a resealable container with Tito’s. Let the mixture infuse for six to 12 months before using and impressing everyone you know.

The video and additional creative assets were made in collaboration with Arts & Letters Creative Co.