Bacardí's Musical Journey: Sipping Youthful Vibes with Camila Cabello
Experience the latest Bacardí ad featuring Camila Cabello's hit song 'I Luv It.' Discover how 'Do What Moves You' comes to life as sound energizes all around in this captivating campaign.
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Bacardí often describes its rum as "sunshine in a bottle," which makes summer a crucial time for the privately owned company. They have been using the start of the season as an opportunity to build on their brand platform "Do What Moves You," which was introduced in 2018 and focuses on music and dance. For 2024 and beyond, Bacardí has chosen pop sensation Camila Cabello, known for her time in the group Fifth Harmony, as the face of their latest campaign.
Bacardí's new ad for Cabello's hyperpop single "I Luv It" shows how sound can move people and objects. The commercial features lightwaves dancing through a bottle of rum, a yellow road divider, and a sand explosion reminiscent of "Dune." As Cabello and her dancers groove, the lights of a beachside apartment complex mimic a visual equalizer, and a wide shot reveals a skyline filled with brightly lit buildings.
The campaign, created in partnership with BBDO New York and crafted over a period of two years, brings together the brand’s heritage, features, and new brand representative in an advertisement that highlights self-expression, unity, happiness, and the spirit of summer.
“It's a call to embrace both the emotional aspect – the liberty of embracing your true self without worrying about judgement – and the physical aspect,” shared Laila Mignoni, the global head of brand marketing at Bacardí.
Unlocking the Secret to Timelessness
Music serves as the key to staying timeless for the brand that has been around for over 160 years. According to Mignoni, your playlist can reveal your age. Previous seasonal campaigns have featured popular artists like Major Lazer, Swizz Beatz, and Meek Mill, who even remixed a classic Miami Sound Machine song. With Cabello, Bacardí has found a young pop star whose image resonates with the brand.
Mignoni highlighted the connection between Cabello and Miami, stating, "She’s from Cuba and she grew up in Miami, so it’s exactly like us: We’re from Cuba, and we grew up in Miami." This partnership pays tribute to the diverse culture of the Florida city, which acts as a bridge to Latin America.
The campaign not only features Cabello but also showcases choreography by Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, and Arthur Hare from (LA)HORDE. This Marseille-based dance collective combines ballet and contemporary dance. Directing the campaign was Nicolás Méndez, a co-founder of the filmmaking collective Canada. He is known for directing music videos for artists like Rosalia and Travis Scott, as well as Cabello's official video for "I Luv It."
Bacardí focused on the soundwave concept and conducted multiple rounds of testing before collaborating with Cabello's team on the lookbook, dancers, casting, and location. A five-day shoot in the Dominican Republic was followed by a significant visual effects endeavor to bring the choreography and soundwaves to life.
Mignoni described the project as showcasing the influence of music in uniting people and things. Despite its simplicity, she emphasized the extensive effort that went into its creation.
Navigating fragmentation
Bacardí will continue to build on the new creative for the "Do What Moves You" campaign throughout the year and beyond. The brand has a long-standing partnership with Cabello, who will be releasing her new album "C, XOXO" on June 28. Additionally, Bacardí has other exciting activations planned for the next couple of years.
The campaign kicked off in April during NBA playoff broadcasts on ESPN and TNT. It is set to run for 18 months to two years, with a mix of digital and traditional channels such as TV and out-of-home. Bacardí has expanded the “Do What Moves You” campaign to platforms like SoundCloud, Snapchat, and NFTs. This time around, there are special partnerships with Snapchat and Spotify for augmented reality experiences during Cabello’s album launch and music festivals.
Mignoni shared, “The way we consume media is so diverse now, but audio is becoming increasingly important. We have been investing more in audio formats because it captures a lot of attention. With audio, you are fully engaged, unlike other media where we tend to multitask. So, audio plays a significant role in our marketing strategy.”
