Malibu and Brian Cox team up to encourage workers to clock off
In its latest campaign, Malibu enlisted the help of multi-award-winning actor, Brian Cox, to encourage people to ‘clock off’ on time and ditch overwork. Brian, who’s famous for portraying a hard-nosed boss, is swapping his serious side for a sunnier disposition – roller skating down a boardwalk resplendent in a bold pink suit.
We sat down with Jess Velastegui, Global Marketing Manager Comms & Content at Malibu and Kahlúa, to explain the new campaign and why Brian was the perfect celebrity partner.
Can you give an overview of Malibu’s marketing strategy?
In the summer of 2022, Malibu set out to redefine what it means to embrace the season. For too long, it was seen as just a beachside companion, a drink reserved for sun-soaked vacations and poolside lounging. But summer isn’t just a season—it’s a mindset, a feeling, a way of living.
“Do Whatever Tastes Good” became more than a tagline; it was a call to action. A reminder that summer isn’t just a time of year—it’s a state of mind, ready to be embraced whenever, wherever. Our ambition is to drive brand recruitment at scale by strengthening Malibu brand consideration with consumers, especially amongst those under 25 who are legally allowed to drink 25, but also beyond.
What is the focus of the latest campaign?
The role of this campaign is to continue strengthening brand consideration by reminding people of the role that Malibu can play in bringing sunshine into a world full of responsibilities. Our first campaign focused on what it meant to embrace summer as a season by elevating it to a feeling. Now we are focused on what prevents people from releasing their summer selves. Typically, this can come down to responsibility, whether it’s at work or home. People, for instance, can become chained to their desks because of the pressure to work harder; many feel they are unable to disconnect and clock off on time at their respective jobs. So, for this campaign, we wanted to encourage people to make more time for the things they love – to unplug, release their summer selves and live in the moment. This has always been the ethos of “Do Whatever Tastes Good” but you need to “Clock Off” to do so!
What is the creative behind the advert?
We landed on the feeling of being overworked and started to think about how we get people to enjoy themselves outside of work. Of course, we don’t want people to stop working; it’s about making time for the things they love. We wanted a character that is synonymous with working hard and sacrificing enjoyment for business – enter Brian Cox, the multi-award-winning actor famed for being the tough boss. Let’s face it, who better to inspire office workers around the world to clock off on time than Brian Cox? The aim is to get people thinking about how they unplug. Whether it’s a barbeque, picnic in the park or a happy hour visit, Malibu wants people to remember how joyous clocking off on time can be!
Do Whatever Tastes Good” became more than a tagline; it was a call to action. A reminder that summer isn’t just a time of year – it’s a state of mind, ready to be embraced whenever, wherever.
Can you describe the advert?
The scene is set in an office boardroom when at exactly 17:01 Brian Cox, sporting a bold pink suit, checks his watch, comes to his senses and awkwardly leaves the boardroom. But why so awkward? Because he was disguising vintage roller skates, which he then used to skate down the boardwalk, inviting passersby to join him in clocking off and releasing their summer selves. He finishes in his ultimate clock-off destination – sitting back in his bespoke office-style recliner on the beach, with a delicious Malibu Piña Colada in hand.
When and where will the campaign launch?
It starts in April in the US and will be live throughout the summer in various countries such as the UK, Canada, Netherlands, Poland and Australia later in the year. We also have a separate initiative in London to support the campaign and help people truly clock off. Malibu will bring the world’s first-ever ‘Clock Off Fountain’ to the heart of London on 7 April. From 5:01pm, it will give workers the chance to toss their phones into the ‘Clock Off Fountain,’ releasing themselves from relentless emails and instant messages. People needn’t worry about their phones being lost forever either – each device will be safely wrapped in a watertight, padded case for peace of mind. The phones will then be safely retrieved from the fountain and handed back to the ‘overworkers’ who will be able to sit back, relax and enjoy the liberation of unplugging with a free Malibu Piña Colada!
We wanted a character that is synonymous with working hard and sacrificing enjoyment for business – enter Brian Cox, the multi-award-winning actor famed for being the tough boss.
How has “Do Whatever Tastes Good” been received?
Do Whatever Tastes Good 1.0 was launched just after the pandemic and had a really strong, timely message. However, it was time for a refresh – to remind people about our brand because we are always looking to attract new audiences. And now we want to move from inspiring consumers with the Malibu world – to enabling them to release their summer selves. We hope that the new creative using Brian will be a fun surprise to those who think they know Malibu.
Collaboration is useful when you want to illustrate a point and when you find a character that can actually help you do that even more.
How important is a celebrity collaboration in a promotional initiative?
Collaboration is useful when you want to illustrate a point and when you find a character that can actually help you do that even more. With our latest campaign, for instance, you could show people working hard in the office before clocking off but when you add a character like Brian, who is synonymous with the tension you are trying to convey, it seems like a no-brainer. So, working with a well-known face is not a requirement, but when you have an idea that lends itself so perfectly to a specific talent – you have gold. It also adds a bit of unexpectedness to the brand when consumers would not normally tie Malibu to the likes of Brian Cox.
Where are Malibu’s main markets?
The US is still Malibu’s biggest market, followed by the UK. But we are seeing growing demand in Canada, the Netherlands, Poland and Australia. While the “Do Whatever Tastes Good” campaign is live, our markets will continue to run our products and drinks campaign, which is all about highlighting our key products plus RTDs in a hyper-real, tasty way. This allows markets to run more product-focused assets in channels where consumers are closer to purchase while using the hero campaign assets as key awareness drivers bringing them into the Malibu world.
https://www.malibudrinks.com/en/newsroom/clock-off-with-malibu-and-brian-cox
