In the immortal words of Logan Roy: “Clock off!”
Any fan of Succession knows that’s not what the irascible tycoon said, ever. But Brian Cox—the actor behind the legendary uber-boss—is doing a 180-degree turn from that famous hard-driving persona, fully inhabiting a breezy new role as a happy hour ambassador.
Cox has signed on as one of the first celebrity endorsers for Malibu liqueur in a global campaign that shows him breaking out of the corporate rut and living his best beachside life, with an assist from an icy piña colada and vintage roller skates.
A 60-second hero ad, launching today from agency Wieden+Kennedy London and Prettybird director Tim Heidecker, shows Cox leaving an interminable meeting at 5:01 p.m. sharp. He makes the most of his after-hours freedom by blissfully skating along an outdoor boardwalk in a flamingo-pink business suit.
“He’s so associated with power and work culture and not clocking off, so there’s a bit of humor and an ironic twist here, making him the perfect spokesman,” Caroline Begley, Malibu’s vice president of marketing, told ADWEEK. “This brings the message to the masses that it’s okay to enjoy me-time.”
Cox—whose growing commercial CV includes Asics, Uber One, DirecTV, and McDonald’s, among others—“was really amused by the script and what we were asking him to do,” per Begley.
The award-winning actor knows his salty Succession patriarch and other characters made an impression on the viewing public, but he’s not that guy, he says.
“I’m all about celebrating the enjoyment of life and taking time off for the people and things that matter,” Cox said in a statement. “We all need to disconnect if we want to enjoy what life has to offer.”
The ad, shot in Barcelona late last year, used a stunt double, a movement coordinator, a custom-built motorized camera rig, and visual effects to create the fancy skating sequences, per the agency.
Stolen sunshine, disguised overtime
The campaign drops under the ongoing “Do Whatever Tastes Good” marketing banner, with the Pernod Ricard-owned brand continuing to tout its year-round vacation mindset. With music carving out a prominent place in its marketing, as in past efforts, Malibu and W+K used the recognizable hit “Steal My Sunshine” from alt rock band Len for “Brian Cox Clocks Off.”
