While aiming to further cement its chill vibe, Malibu rooted the campaign in consumer insights and the rising trend of “disguised overtime.”
The company, after polling 13,000 adults, found that Americans are working an average of 15 extra hours a week, totaling nearly eight extra work days a year. The average worker juggles 28 lines of communication after hours each week, adding up to more than 17 hours of unpaid overtime per month.
One in five Americans reports feeling overworked, while 71% feel pressured to work overtime. The phenomenon is “wearing us down,” per Craig van Niekerk, Malibu’s vice president of marketing, noting that the “clock off” message “feels more important than ever.”
The work debuts as spirits sales overall have dipped by 3% in the U.S., per IWSR’s January through July 2024 stats. Rum sales specifically dropped 5% during that period, according to the researcher. Flavored rums make up 57% of America’s rum market.
Per IWSR in 2023, Malibu was the top-selling white rum-based coconut liqueur in the world, part of the $2.4 billion category led by Bacardi and Captain Morgan. The companies have introduced a number of innovations in recent years to appeal to young drinkers, including ready-to-drink cocktails that are popular with millennials and Gen Z.
Malibu has a history of creating limited-edition merchandise to go along with its ad campaigns, but there are no plans yet to sell a version of Cox’s pink suit or branded skates. The idea is worth considering, though, if there’s consumer demand, per Begley.
