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

“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.”

How Tecate used a floating bar to challenge Trump’s name change

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.