Bacardi mixes Kendrick Lamar and Calvin Harris to win back young males

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb-UJtHKC-4

The drinks maker is mixing music and travel together to shape the follow up to this year’s “Untameable” brand refresh. It aims to tap younger men’s passions for both hobbies to further ongoing efforts to concoct a more youthful positioning around its craft, heritage and cocktails.

Lamar and Harris will appear throughout the campaign alongside Ellie Goulding, with the rum maker hoping to convert some of their fans to the brand. Initially, the star-studded content is being pulled from a three-day festival the artists performed at in the Bermuda Triangle earlier this month.

Influencers from key target groups such as fashion and skateboard culture were invited to attend the intimate event alongside competition winners from titles such as NME. Content involving Bacardi fans interacting with the artists will likely form the backbone of the push in the early stages before upcoming packaging updates and wider advertising.

Much of the content is being hosted on the brand’s site, which is being developed by agencies MTT Digital and Mr President.

Bacardi hopes next year’s plans bring it closer to its “sweet spot” target of younger drinkers. Affinity among the rum’s 25 to 35-year-old male heartland has softened in recent years in contrast to its increasing popularity among female drinkers, something the company wants to address.

Bacardi’s wider plan revolves around turning its online presence into a hub for pint-sized facts about the brand.

Since launching the “Untameable” campaign, Bacardi has fostered a more experimental approach to brand building. Vine, mobile and media tie-ups have all been explored over the past 12 months, while the brand has been testing how creative ideas are transferred between its local and global teams in an attempt to uncover effective strategies faster.