Podcast Summary: Nudge – Why Everyone’s Suddenly Drinking Aperol Spritz

Host: Phil Agnew
Guest: Richard Shotton (Author and Behavioural Science Expert)
Episode Date: November 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Nudge investigates the meteoric rise of the Aperol Spritz and uncovers why its popularity might be driven by psychological principles beyond just flavour. Host Phil Agnew and guest Richard Shotton, an applied behavioural scientist, break down the hidden marketing and behavioural science forces that turned Aperol from a niche Italian liqueur into a worldwide cocktail phenomenon. The discussion also extends to broader branding strategies, focusing on social proof, distinctiveness, and behavioural triggers that can supercharge product appeal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The History and Sudden Popularity of Aperol Spritz

• [00:00–01:34] Phill Agnew recounts the story of how Aperol was invented in 1912 by Italian brothers and remained a local favorite until Campari’s acquisition and promotion of the Aperol Spritz in 2003.
• By the mid-2010s, the Aperol Spritz experienced a viral boom, especially in the U.S., rivaling all other cocktails in search volume and sales.

Memorable Quote:

"Google searches for Aperol Spritz began increasing in late 2015 and increased 50-fold by 2021. And it's now America's favorite cocktail." – Phil Agnew [01:00]

2. Beyond Taste: The Role of Visual Appeal and Social Proof

• [01:34–02:04] Phil and guest bartender Teresa Priola discuss how Aperol’s bright, neon-orange color makes it instantly recognizable and appealing, especially on social occasions.
• Richard Shotton joins, arguing that Aperol’s popularity is less about flavour and more about 'implied social proof'—the psychological effect where visible popularity triggers wider adoption.

Notable Quotes:

"They create the impression of popularity rather than directly stating it. Now, the way they do that is they have this completely distinctive, visible, notable orange color." – Richard Shotton [01:54]

3. Social Proof in Marketing: Explicit vs. Implied

• [03:29–04:27] Shotton introduces the concept of social proof: we’re more likely to follow the crowd, especially when uncertain.
• Phil gives real-world marketing examples:
  • HMRC tax letter study: Adding “9 out of 10 people in your area pay tax on time” boosted tax compliance from 68% to 83% [04:37].
  • Brands like Bud Light and Tunic’s directly tout their popularity.
• Aperol, though, leverages a more subtle approach by making its brand visually distinct, letting customers infer its popularity.

Memorable Quote:

"If you tell your audience that you're popular, it will have an effect, but this is tempered by the knowledge that, of course, it's what all businesses say anyway. But by creating the impression of popularity and allowing customers to come to their own conclusion, well, then the suspicions are removed." – Phil Agnew [08:42]

4. Distinctiveness: The Von Restorff Effect

• [09:55–11:36] The hosts discuss how Aperol’s strategy also benefits from the Von Restorff effect: visually or conceptually distinct items are more memorable.
• Experimental evidence: Participants are more likely to recall a unique item (e.g., the only food on a drinks list) and industry research shows visually distinct ads have greater effectiveness.

Notable Quote:

"Aperol gains dual benefits from standing out. Being distinct makes the product more memorable. That's the von Resteroff effect. But that distinctiveness also implies that the product is more popular than it actually is." – Phil Agnew [10:39]

5. Brand Triggers: Snickers and Implementation Intentions

• [13:20–14:05] The discussion transitions to Snickers’ global “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign. Unlike most brands, Snickers standardizes this campaign across 58 countries, focusing consumption around a specific emotional trigger—hunger-induced irritability.
• Richard explains the psychology behind this efficacy by citing a University of Bath study (Sarah Milne, 2002) on “implementation intentions.” Attaching behaviour to a clear trigger (a specific time, place, or feeling) dramatically increases the likelihood that intentions result in action (exercise increased from 35% to 91% with a defined trigger) [16:08].
• Brands like Kit Kat, Diet Coke, Taco Bell, and Domino’s similarly succeed by linking their product to contextual consumption moments.

Memorable Quotes:

"They're not in their ads talking about Snickers being amazingly tasty, but they are very, very clear about when people should consume." – Richard Shotton [17:35]
"Kit Kat's 'have a break have a Kit Kat' line has lasted almost 70 years." – Phil Agnew [18:31]

6. Takeaways for Marketers

• If you want to harness social proof, consider implying popularity through visual distinctiveness rather than just stating sales figures.
• Make your product’s presence visible in social settings to let customers draw their own conclusions about popularity.
• Combine memorability (von Restorff effect) with visible popularity for amplified effect.
• Anchor product consumption to a repeatable trigger (time, place, mood) to translate motivation into action.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On Aperol’s visual proof:
  "Because Aperol is so distinctive, you notice all of those purchases, you know they're drinking Aperol. It takes up this disproportionate amount of your kind of mental headspace." – Richard Shotton [06:39]

• On implied vs. explicit social proof:
  "If you create the impression of popularity by making the behaviour you're trying to encourage really distinctive, really noticeable, well, then you're allowing people to come to their own conclusions. And the argument would be, frankly, who do we trust more than ourselves?" – Richard Shotton [09:26]

• On distinctiveness in advertising:
  "Participants were four times more likely to mention that distinct fast food brand than the average car brand." – Phil Agnew [10:29]

• On Snickers and implementation intentions:
  "If you want to change behaviour or if you want people to buy your product or consume your product, you need to attach that behavior to a very clear time, mood or place." – Richard Shotton [17:25]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment Topic | Timestamps | |-------------------------------------|---------------| | Aperol’s history & early marketing | 00:00–01:34 | | Spike in global popularity | 01:00–01:34 | | Visual appeal and social proof | 01:34–03:12 | | Explanation of “explicit” social proof | 03:12–04:37 | | HMRC tax letter study | 04:37–05:33 | | Aperol’s implied social proof | 05:33–06:39 | | Distinctiveness & Von Restorff effect | 09:55–11:36 | | Snickers case study | 13:20–14:05 | | Implementation intentions (Sarah Milne study) | 14:05–17:25 | | Marketing takeaways and examples | 18:31–19:50 |

Conclusion

This episode of Nudge uses Aperol Spritz as a lens to explore how brands can harness the power of implied social proof and distinctiveness to become memorable and desirable. By making both the product and its context of consumption visible and unique, marketers can not only stand out, but even fuel a sense of popularity that leads to viral growth. The Snickers campaign offers another blueprint—anchor actions to specific consumption triggers to turn intention into behaviour. Marketers seeking actionable insights will walk away with concrete strategies to prompt customers’ next choices.

For more on these behavioural principles and actionable marketing insights, check out Richard Shotton’s “Hacking the Human Mind” and the Nudge Vault app at nudgepodcast.com/vaults.