A global campaign rooted in one of Mexico’s most meaningful traditions, celebrated in South Africa through two Mexican classics: the Paloma and the Margarita

In Mexican tradition, cempasúchil (marigold) flowers do not mourn, they guide. Each Día de Muertos, their golden petals trace a path believed to lead loved ones home. This year, Don Julio has made that path the centre of El Puente Eterno (The Eternal Bridge), a global campaign celebrating remembrance, family and the connections that outlast time.

Día de Muertos is often mistaken for a Mexican Halloween. It is a celebration of memory, when families build ofrendas, share food and tell stories about the people they have lost. For Don Julio, a brand born in Jalisco, the holiday is a way to share Mexican culture with the world with respect and authenticity. The campaign is also an expression of Por Amor, the brand’s philosophy of living and celebrating with love.

“Día de Muertos reminds us that remembering is an act of love, and that the people we’ve lost remain part of how we gather and celebrate,” said Tebogo Machogo, Senior Brand Manager, Don Julio South Africa. “South Africans understand the power of family, memory and community, so this story resonates here. We wanted to share it in a way that honours its meaning.”

In South Africa, the celebration was poured through two serves that sit at the heart of Mexican drinking culture:

• The Paloma: Don Julio with grapefruit and lime, topped with soda. Bright, refreshing and one of Mexico’s most-loved ways to drink tequila.
• The Margarita: Don Julio shaken with lime and orange liqueur. Crisp, citrus-forward and the world’s most recognised tequila cocktail.

Both are simple, sociable drinks made for sharing, which suits a holiday about gathering and togetherness.

The campaign began in the agave fields of Atotonilco, Jalisco, and has since been interpreted by markets around the world, each creating its own “crossing” through bridges, doorways, streets and pathways connected by the marigold. In South Africa, the experience came to life in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban at Rockets, LIV, Mber and Cabo, where guests were welcomed with marigold-inspired styling and the Paloma and Margarita. Each city offered its own interpretation, together forming a South African expression of a worldwide celebration.