Pernod Ricard wants Malibu to ‘own all summer drinks’ and has picked Huge to push the plan through
Pernod Ricard has lofty ambitions for its Malibu brand and is hoping newly appointed creative agency Huge will help bring the brand to greater exposure globally and become “the spirit brand of choice for summer”.
Pernod Ricard wants Malibu to ‘own all summer drinks’ and has picked Huge to push the plan through
The drinks company selected Huge as its global creative agency of record following a competitive pitch last month, and will now work with the agency to push through its plan of becoming “the no 1 flavoured spirits brand in the world”. Currently, over 50% of Malibu’s revenue comes from its US market, and now the drinks brand is looking to expand into areas such as China and Africa to make a global name for itself.
After seeing success with this year’s ‘Because Summer’ platform Malibu is keen to continue in the same creative vein for 2017, but wll do so through a global lense to grow its presence in the 120 markets it currently operates in.
“Malibu was the third most talked about spirits brand among consumers in July and we want to fuel the buzz further in summer 2017 by fun and disruptive assets that can help us win in the summer months,” Jesper Galatius, global brand director, Malibu told The Drum.
“The campaign will inspire consumers to do the things they wouldn’t normally do, but they do ‘Because Summer’. We want Malibu to be the spirit brand of choice for summer and our ambition is to own all key summer drinks.”
The appointment follows a string of digital innovations from the brand, something that Pernod Ricard is keen to invest further in as it continues to explore the worlds of VR and the internet of things.
Last month, the brand launched Coco-nect, a coconut shaped cup that sends signals to bar staff every time a fresh drink is required. To place an order, customers had to twist the base of the coconut-shaped cup, after which a refill of their drink was delivered.
“We are always looking into innovations and new opportunities that can drive core consumer attributes of Malibu as a fun, refreshing and contemporary brand,” added Galatius.
As part of its global expansion, the Pernod-Ricard owned brand just launched Malibu Spice in South Africa to expand the brand into the fast-growing Spiced rum segment.