Malibu Rum – Drug Ad Debunk – HLED 151

Luc Carlin

HLED 151

Malibu Rum

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xGroEzJgYs This is an advertisement for Malibu Rum titled “The Story of Summer You”. I chose this ad because I think it does an especially good job of representing marketing tactics used by so many drug and alcohol companies, which predominantly entails trying to appeal to younger adults. This ad greatly glorifies its product, in doing so is attempting to convince viewers that their life will be more glamorous and care-free if they drink Malibu. The tropical and “summery” scenery they employ here make this ad interesting to analyze because it is a textbook example of how drug and alcohol companies are trying to appeal to people in their 20s and 30s. Many ads that are trying to sell products try to appeal to youth, and this ad is certainly no exception that, and is incredibly representative of modern marketing techniques, which is my primary reason for choosing it.
2. Malibu Rum originated in the 1980s, and in 2002 was sold from Diageo to Allied Domecq for $800 million, according to a BBC article from 2002. A New York Times article from 2002 stated that Malibu was the third-largest rum brand in the US at the time. In a 2005 NYT article, it was announced that Pernod Ricard of France (the current owner of the rum brand) was planning to spend $14 billion on purchasing Allied Domecq, with plans “to become the world’s largest liquor company” (Kanter). The company has collaborated with celebrities such as Major Lazer, a popular musical group, for creating ads for their products. In a 2016 article, it was stated that Pernod Ricard wanted Malibu to become “the spirit brand of choice for summer” (Mortimer). Malibu is sold in most places where other alcohol is sold, and has different varieties including “Malibu Black” and “Malibu U.”
3. The intended audience here is young adults. The ad is definitely targeted towards those who are at a point in their life where they go on loud, lively, social vacations. The ad uses the narrative of comparing “summer you” versus “regular you,” implying that Malibu is something to be drunk while in warm, carefree, vacation-like environments. Also most of the people and actors featured in the ad are young, which implies that the company is trying to appeal to younger audiences. Since the ad is a video, it most likely is aired on TV, YouTube, and other streaming services with frequent advertisements where the company knows young adults will see it. The ad also uses an abundance of lively social scenes, which further implies that it is meant to grab the attention of young people and galvanize them to drink and party and crave that sort of lifestyle.
4. Since Malibu is an alcoholic beverage, its active ingredient is ethanol. According to Harvard’s Public Health website, ethanol affects the body in several ways, including altering mood, concentration, and coordination. Harvard’s site also lists that in terms of organs, ethanol has impacts on “stomach, brain, heart, gallbladder, and liver.” The ad definitely does not disclose any of this information, with no mention or representation of how alcohol affects these body parts, and also how it can alter your mood. Furthermore, alcohol is addictive, and Malibu is not an exception to that. The ad does have a small disclaimer at the bottom that states “Sip easily. Enjoy Malibu responsibly.” All alcohol advertisements are legally required to do this, but it is not very informative as to what exactly is dangerous about drinking. At the end of the ad, the company lists its nutritional facts, including how many calories and grams of protein, fat, and carbohydrates are in one serving.
5. The prominent marketing techniques Malibu utilizes here include grabbing the attention of the audience, and using visual imagery to do so. The heart of this ad lies in how it uses tropical, warm scenery and a young, lively cast to set the mood of the ad and the product to appeal to a younger audience. This makes sense, as Malibu is a coconut-flavored tropical alcoholic beverage, so having an ad set in the tropics with warm weather and dancing and music just adds to the “summery”, relaxed mentality this ad is trying to create. The deceptive component of this ad lies in the fact that it shows everyone who is consuming Malibu in the video as being healthy and happy. In reality those who drink hard alcohol frequently have health problems. The ad also fails to show the risks and less glamorous side of the drink, which includes hangovers and drunk driving and other safety risks. This ad is also deceptive because it tells the audience that in order to feel happy, excited, “care-free,” and relaxed, you need to drink Malibu. It portrays that without Malibu, you are boring and moody and average, but that that all falls away when you have their product which makes you become and feel exceptional. In a 2016 DIGIDAY article, Pernod Ricard USA director of media Andre Marciano stated that the brand planned to spend 75 % of its total marketing budget on digital activities, in contrast to 60% of its total market being spent on digital advertising from the previous year. This speaks to how Malibu is using technology and imagery to appeal to its audience, especially younger Americans. “With consumers always on their mobile phones, it is the ultimate point to remind them to choose our products in fun ways,” Marciano said (Dua). This article also reiterates the fact that Malibu is clearly trying to appeal to younger generations with its advertisements. The article states, “As it does this, it seeks to increasingly appeal to a younger, over-21 millennial audience of both men and women without losing that ‘chill, fun summer vibe’” (Dua). The piece also mentions that Malibu actually has a campaign called “Malibros” dedicated to marketing their product on social media sites around the time when most college students take their spring breaks.
6. Overall, I believe that Malibu is not as harmful as cigarette and prescription drugs that are advertised. However, it is still dangerous because it is an addictive substance, and its marketers try to distort reality by convincing their audience that their lives will improve if they use their product, in this case alcohol, which is very detrimental, especially for young people. Advertising, particularly digital advertising because it is so widely spread and seen by younger people on social media, has a great amount of sway and power when it comes to convincing people from younger generations what to buy. That being said, I think that Malibu itself, if consumed rarely and responsibly, is less harmful than cigarettes and prescription drugs. The main reason I have concluded this is because alcohol is so commonly used in social situations, and while there are addicts and alcoholics, it is possible for people to responsibly and safely drink without it taking too much of a toll on their overall health. Conversely, cigarettes and prescription drugs pose a much more serious threat in terms of addiction and health risks. Because of this, I would caution a family member or friend using it, as I would with any amount of alcohol, and warn them that even though alcohol is not as overtly addictive or unhealthy as other substances, it still poses a risk, and does also have potential to threaten one’s safety and judgement.

Bibliography

Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits. (2016, April 12). Retrieved November 30, 2017, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/alcohol-full-story/

BUSINESS | Diageo sells Malibu rum. (2002, February 27). Retrieved November 30, 2017, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1844577.stm

Dua, T. (2016, July 12). Why Malibu rum is spending 75 percent of its marketing budget on digital. Retrieved November 30, 2017, from https://digiday.com/marketing/malibu-bullish-digital/

Kanter, H. T. (2005, April 22). Purchase of Allied Domecq Seen Spurring Other Deals. Retrieved November 30, 2017, from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/22/business/worldbusiness/purchase-of-allied-domecq-seen-spurring-other-deals.html?_r=0

Kapner, S. (2002, February 27). Malibu Rum Being Sold By Diageo To Domecq. Retrieved November 30, 2017, from http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/28/business/malibu-rum-being-sold-by-diageo-to-domecq.html

Mortimer, N. (2016, November 11). Pernod Ricard wants Malibu to ‘own all summer drinks’ and has picked Huge to push the plan through. Retrieved November 30, 2017, from http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/11/11/pernod-ricard-wants-malibu-own-all-summer-drinks-and-has-picked-huge-push-the-plan