Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico, so a Mexican beer brand anchored ‘Gulf of Mexico Bar’ in it and put it on Google Maps

1Tecate saw an opportunity to respond in a way that aligned with its Mexican identity and created a viral moment in the process.Donald Trump has developed an affinity for renaming large bodies of water during his second presidency. But a Mexican beer brand has found an unconventional way to push back against the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico last year to the Gulf of America.

Rather than posting negative reviews on the Gulf of America that would likely be deleted, Tecate made a move that Google Maps couldn’t keep off the platform.

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“When the name of the Gulf of Mexico was changed on many map apps around the world, LePub Mexico City and Tecate, the most Mexican beer, knew we had to do something,” writes the advertising agency behind Tecate’s campaign, LePub Mexico City. “So, we crafted a beer with salt from the Gulf, and to launch it, we set up a floating bar called ‘Golfo de México’ and pinned it right in the middle of the Gulf.”

Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to recognize the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America in January 2025. Google Maps subsequently updated the name for users in the U.S. while retaining Gulf of Mexico for users in Mexico, according to Google. Users anywhere else see both names.

The change fueled debate over geography, national identity and the influence of political decisions on digital platforms.

For many Mexicans, the name change was more than a cartographic adjustment; its name has historical and cultural significance. Afterall, Mexico lays claim to about 49% of the Gulf, while the United States controls about 46% of it and Cuba has hold over the remainder, according to calculations by Sovereign Limits reported by the New York Times.

“It wasn’t just a name change, it felt like a cultural erasure,” Tecate stated, according to an advertising awards case study of the campaign. “Millions of Mexicans saw a part of their national identity disappear with a single update. While others hesitated, Tecate couldn’t stay quiet. This wasn’t just about a map, it was about pride, history and who we are.”

Tecate saw an opportunity to respond in a way that aligned with its Mexican identity. The brand crafted a limited-edition beer, Tecate Light made with salt from the Gulf, tying the campaign directly to the waters at the center of the geopolitical dispute. And it launched the beer with an aptly named bar that would appear on the platform in any country.

While Google removed the business listing multiple times, according to the campaign’s entry in the London International Awards, the team simply submitted listing after listing, keeping the bar’s name in circulation and responded by saying: “No problem, we’ll just keep putting it back. Because we’re Mexican.”

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The campaign illustrates how companies can turn a politically charged moment into a brand-building opportunity.

According to the campaign’s advertising awards case study, the activation generated more than 93 million impressions, 333 million in organic reach and $155 million in earned media value. The campaign also reported 99.7% positive sentiment.

The campaign even gave Tecate a way to connect its product to Mexican cultural identity without making the beer itself the sole focus. The Gulf of Mexico Bar has since become a destination for guests and influencers from both sides of the border, who could experience the activation firsthand.

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