Bacardi has recruited US professional basketballer Josh Hart to front the latest campaign for Grey Goose vodka under the brand’s 20-year sponsorship of the US Open Tennis Championships.
The campaign centres on the Honey Deuce – a cocktail topped with tennis-inspired honeydew melon balls that is served at the tournament. Hart stars in a 36-second ad for Bacardi (below) called ‘New York’s Ultimate Baller’ – a reference to the melon balls.
This year, Bacardi has installed branded cocktail bars serving the pink-hued drink in several locations at at the tournament, which began on 23 August and will run until 13 September at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. A long-term tradition for Bacardi’s US Open marketing, the company said the Honey Deuce now appears “on seasonal menus at bars and restaurants nationwide and [inspires] official US Open merchandise”. “Purchases of the Grey Goose Honey Deuce cocktail rose 32% year-over-year in 2025, continuing its rise as the biggest cocktail in sports,” Bacardi claimed.
Outside of the stadium, the family-owned spirits company is resurrecting a pop-up bar called The Last Serve at Grand Central Terminal, which debuted last year.
“The US Open captivates New York City in a way that goes far beyond tennis. It’s a cultural event that brings the city together,” said Grey Goose’s global marketing VP, Aleco Azqueta. “This year, we wanted to celebrate the icons and rituals that make New York so special.”
In July, Bacardi installed its ‘Casa Bacardi’ pop-up at Lollapalooza festival in the US, before taking it across the Atlantic for appearances at UK events All Points East and Lido.
