Malibu Don’t Drink and Dive campaign returns with a winter message for the nation
The winter iteration of ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ launches with the eye-opening statistic that more than 1 in 4 winter drownings involve alcohol. Lifeguard towers to appear in busy London, Manchester, and Bristol city centres reminding festive drinkers to stay safe near inland waters.
Today Malibu launched a winter edition of its ongoing responsible drinking initiative ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’, after campaign partner Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) revealed the startling reality that more than 1 in 4 winter drownings involve alcohol 1. As festive celebrations sweep the nation, the campaign serves as a sobering reminder for Brits to stay safe near water, even during the colder months.
In eye-catching festive fashion, the winter ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ initiative sees a series of seasonal lifeguard towers – complete with baubles and jolly decorations – installed in popular inner-city drinking locations near water across London, Manchester and Bristol. In light of statistics shared by RLSS UK, showing 73% of winter drownings occur in inland waters, including rivers and canals, the RLSS UK-trained lifeguards will sport a limited-edition festive jumper, reminding the nation of the risks associated with drinking alcohol near water in winter. With 9 in 10 winter drownings occurring when individuals don’t intend to be in the water, the lifeguards will engage merry revellers throughout the evening, offering tips and safety advice to get people talking, thinking, and drinking differently around water during the holiday season.
In partnership with Made With Love, Tom Daley’s knitwear brand, the campaign’s dedicated lifeguards will showcase a limited edition ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ knitted jumper design. A limited run of the woollen jumpers will be made available to purchase via Made With Love’s online shop, with all proceeds going to RLSS UK, helping to fund essential water safety initiatives across the country.
Tom Daley says: “Alcohol-related drowning is not just a summer issue, it’s also a real problem during the winter months which many might not consider. With more than 1 in 4 drownings in winter involving alcohol, it’s important to spread the word on this issue and encourage everyone to stay safe near water, particularly as we approach the festive season”.
As temperatures drop, and the festive season gets into full flow, the winter edition of ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ aims to shine a light on the dangers of drinking alcohol near urban waterways, reminding party-goers to take care and drink responsibly.
Craig van Niekerk, VP of Marketing at Malibu, says: “The winter edition of our Don’t Drink and Dive campaign feels just as important as the summer campaign – whilst people don’t intend to get into the water, accidents are happening, particularly when alcohol is involved; the ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ message acts as rallying catch-all for the responsible consumption of alcohol around water. We’re proud to be continuing to raise awareness of responsible drinking around water – whatever the time of year!”
Matt Croxall, Charity Director at RLSS UK, adds: “Our festive lifeguards are a creative way of bringing to life this incredibly important message. The research shows that alcohol-related drownings occur all year round, and when the temperatures drop it is inland waterways that pose the greatest risk of drowning. Let’s make this holiday season one to remember for all the right reasons – by keeping everyone safe.”
Malibu and Made With Love’s limited-edition festive ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ stock is available to purchase here. For more information on responsible drinking around water, Malibu and RLSS UK have shared leading tips on staying safe when consuming alcohol at www.dontdrinkanddive.com.
All ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ festive campaign assets are available here.
For more information, contact:
theabsolutgroup@mcsaatchi.com
1Data provided by RLSS UK concerns adults (aged 18 years and over) who drowned under the influence of alcohol between 2018-2023
About Malibu
With its iconic white bottle and palm tree logo, Malibu is the number one white rum-based coconut liqueur in the world with more than 4 million cases sold in more than 150 countries each year. Made with white rum, the original coconut-flavoured liqueur is a staple in famous cocktails such as piña coladas and daiquiris. Its portfolio brings the refreshing taste of summer, inspiring a mindset of spontaneity and fun where the sun shines all year round – wherever you are in the world, Malibu invites you to do whatever tastes good.
Created in the late 1970s, Malibu has been part of the Pernod Ricard Group since 2005 and today, the original Malibu flavour is more popular than ever. In recent years, Malibu has continued to embody the spirit of summer by introducing a range of flavoured liqueurs, together with a selection of ready-to-drink cocktails, of which more than one million cases are sold each year. For more information on Malibu click here.
About RLSS UK
Since 1891, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has been sharing its expertise in water safety, lifesaving, and lifeguarding to educate everyone to enjoy water safely. RLSS UK is the leading water safety education charity, committed to reducing the number of drowning deaths across the UK and Ireland. RLSS UK also collaborates with international water safety partners and thought-leaders to contribute to reducing the number of worldwide drowning-related deaths.
RLSS UK supports the availability of safe places to play and swim, ensuring competent lifeguard provision at indoor and outdoor venues across the UK and Ireland. In addition, its work sees vital water safety education delivered across the UK and Ireland. Thanks to support from educators and RLSS UK’s community networks, last year, an estimated 2.26m+ children were educated in water safety using their free materials and resources.
About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand development, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes.
Our mission is to ensure the long-term growth of our brands with full respect for people and the environment while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive and responsible culture of authentic conviviality. Pernod Ricard’s consolidated sales amounted to € 12,137 million in fiscal year FY23. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.
Responsibility Statement
The Absolut Company AB and all companies within the Pernod Ricard group have a longstanding tradition of promoting responsible drinking. Responsibility is of particular importance given the sensitive products we deal with. Our products are for most people associated with pleasure, enjoyment and socializing, but can have quite the opposite effect when not handled responsibly. Thus, all our marketing activities are conducted with care for the consumer. As a company, we also have a responsibility for how we act to the world around us and the society we live in. We strive to always act in a way that shows that we deserve the confidence and appreciation of our stakeholders, no matter who or where they are. Through a broad spectrum of initiatives, often in partnership with outside organizations, including industry associations, regulators, public authorities and representatives, we as well as our affiliates are deeply committed to promoting responsible drinking and discouraging misuse of our products.
We believe responsible drinking is consistent with the maintenance of a balanced and positive lifestyle for most adults who choose to drink. For this reason, we would like to recommend the following reading: Distilled Spirits Council of the United States DISCUS, the spirits EUROPE Guidelines for the Development of Responsible Marketing Communications and Pernod Ricard’s commitments.
