Transforming an ancient Peruvian tradition into sustainable furniture

Corona transforms an ancient Peruvian tradition into sustainable furniture for its bars worldwide

The brand partners with Huanchaco's artisan community and its agency, Leo Lima, to preserve the ancestral totora weaving tradition while creating a sustainable economic model with global impact.

Corona, the global beer brand known for its deep connection to nature and outdoor living, is introducing a new initiative that brings together tradition, sustainability, and design in a single idea: turning the ancestral weaving of totora reeds into rustic furniture for Corona Bars around the world.
The project, developed in partnership with Leo Lima, was born from two clear objectives. First, to offer the artisan community of Huanchaco—keepers of a millenary technique now at risk of fading away—a real, sustainable economic opportunity that helps preserve the traditional weaving of totora. Second, to meet a global brand need: equip Corona Bars worldwide with rustic, natural, and authentic furniture, including chairs, tables, and benches.
Huanchaco, birthplace of the iconic caballitos de totora, becomes the starting point of a value chain that crosses borders. What for centuries has been a technique passed down through generations is now reimagined as functional, purposeful, and exportable design.
“This project isn’t about reinventing tradition—it’s about keeping it alive. Totora doesn’t need reinterpretation; it needs respect. And by honoring it, we create a real, sustainable opportunity for a community safeguarding an invaluable cultural heritage,” said Beto Noriega. CCO Leo Lima.
Leo Lima, the agency behind the creative and strategic development of the initiative, played a key role in connecting a global brand's need with a local solution that delivers social and environmental impact. The result is a true win-win: Corona Bars worldwide receive authentic, handcrafted furniture filled with cultural meaning, while the artisans of Huanchaco gain a stable and sustainable demand for their craft.
Far beyond a one-off action, the project proposes a replicable model where design, culture, and business coexist in balance. A simple yet powerful idea: when a global brand looks to local traditions with respect, the impact can become truly universal.