Bacardi Brings Back “Cubre Libre”, the Original Rum and Coke
I am a Rum and Coke gal and while Captain Morgan is my ‘comfort’ rum of choice (probably due to the fact that my bf and his pledge father had it around all the time during college), I have gotten to really enjoy Barcardi’s Oakheart Spiced Rum. Well, it is good to say that Barcardi has a new commercial campaign in the works.
Earlier this year, Bacardi USA turned to Jeff Weiss and Paul Opperman of boutique agency OW to oversee brand and creative strategy, along with Daley Strategic Advisers. Their assignment was to help re-position Bacardi’s flagship rum brand in the US.
Bacardi USA’s answer to Captain Morgan is Colonel Roosevelt.
The marketer’s flagship rum brand on Monday plans to introduce a TV commercial evoking the history of the “Cuba Libre,” better known as the rum and Coke cocktail, which Bacardi says was created in Cuba in 1900 as then-Col. Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders helped fight for the nation’s independence from Spain.
The commercial spot above is one of a series of planned spots that will “emphasize the historical events that shaped the 151 year-old brand”. This seems to be a trend not only among rum brands but the beer and liquor industries at large. Diageo has done so with their “real-life privateer Captain Henry Morgan of the 1600s”. Budweiser has for awhile been known for their historical commercials (particularly during the Super Bowl).
Millennial consumers are “really looking for brands that have authenticity and a heritage and a story,” said Toby Whitmoyer, Bacardi USA’s VP of marketing for the rum brand. “Bacardi has been incredibly successful as a business, but we really haven’t taken the time to tell consumers the real story behind the brand.”
Fun tidbits about this commercial
- It is set to launch on Monday, same day as Cuban Independence Day
- There will be a NYC concert to celebrate, hosted by Rolling Stones and Bacardi…featuring Macklemore & Ryan Lewis AND Fitz and the Tantrums (also, may I boost that both artist groups have performed at WashU recently?!)
- Because of political restrictions on access to Cuba, the spot was filmed in Uruguay
Other fun historical facts that Bacardi will be unveiling in this campaign?
- An American engineer working in Cuba invented the Bacardi Daiquiri in 1898
- One of the first recorded recipes for the Mojito included Bacardi Rum
- This isn’t stated as a fact that will be in the new Bacardi commercials but according to Bacardi’s website, during prohibition in the US, Bacardi launched a campaign promoting Cuba as a major tourist site, telling US people to “Fly to Cuba and Bathe in Bacardi Rum”. Now wouldn’t that be a fun commercial?
(Source: adage.com)
