We united 50 weavers from 4 different communities for the first time to put together an extraordinary piece of work: The first handmade weaved Inca billboard, respecting the traditional techniques of their ancestors to get the country’s attention. Our insight: rediscovering and reclaiming the art of your past can create a sustainable cultural movement in your present.

The billboard was set up in a strategic point in the center of Cusco, our brand’s hometown. Cusquena brought together the local community to show this amazing billboard as part of the newest city icons, making a forgotten cultural tradition, one of the most appreciated contemporary arts.

These artisans, became the makers of the campaign and led the production with major lifestyle brands to develop customized products with genuine Inca textiles, to start the process of generating a constant and steady source of income for their families and improve their quality of life.

The brand started by providing a knowledge development program for artisans to ensure their production quality. This program was necessary for educate weavers with basic subjects such as math, measurement units and resource management.

We decide to combine the ancestral weaving technique with the modern industrial textile. Alpaca yarns naturally dyed with minerals and different plants with the newest materials from the top brands in the market were used to create one of the most unique, customized and different type of merchandising in the category.

To reinforce the uniqueness of each product, the weavers made different symbols for each product of the collection: The “Pallay Pagarly”, that represents the passion of women with their art and “Ñawi” that represents the future of andean textiles. In this way, both Cusquena and Peruvian textiles were showcased in new retail environments all over the country.

The process let us to understand Peruvian history, textile art has been a fundamental part of Peruvian civilizations for over 2000 years. The methods and materials have remained the same for over a millennia, however do to the lack of diffusion and joint commercial markets the Andean families are being forced to leave behind traditional methods thus changing the process of textile production.

The development of all the materials, continue the traditional process of their ancestors, herding llamas and alpacas to collect the wool, gathering fruits and plants to obtain natural tints and the spinning of the Rueca (small spinning wheel) to create the yarn. The process follows into the handling of the Lliklla (strap loom) for kneading. A standard time of production of 1 meter by 1 meter can take up to 8 days of process.

With the design of this customized products, the incan textile art is being value once again and is now accessible in bold new ways in Peruvian society.

- Over 70% increase of income in the artisans communities (2015 vs 2014).

- Improve artisan’s family economy. 50% of the revenue from Incan textile sales in each family is now reinvested and saved.

- 60% of all Peruvians in social media were reached by the campaign.

- Cusquena sales increased by +8% nationwide.

- 85% positive brand’s sentiment.

- The first 5,000 products were distributed in only 12 days.

- +7 millions people reached and +US$500,000 in free press

Cusquena, the peruvian premium beer and a passionate advocate for national culture, wanted to go back to its origins, rebuilding an emotional connection with consumers who felt the brand had become distant and elitist.

To reconnect with our roots, heritage and Peruvian tradition, Cusquena needed a genuinely authentic media approach beyond a typical advertising campaign.

After careful research, we discovered that Incan textiles, an ancestral art with more than 2000 years of history and a Peruvian cultural icon were in danger of extinction due to the lack of articulated markets. This amazing tradition remains alive through the virtue of 4 communities of artisan weavers that struggle to survive working in this craft. Cusquena could not allow one of the most ancestral Peruvian art forms to disappear, so we decided to contribute to Peruvian society as a way of engaging with our audience again.