Malibu, Tom Daley and the RLSS Urge You to Dive Responsibly

Today, ultimate summertime favourite Malibu and five-times Olympic medallist and diving champion Tom Daley launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking alcohol in/around water, a first for the category. Created in collaboration with global creative agency Wieden+Kennedy London, the new ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ campaign aims to keep the issue front-of-mind to keep the fun times safe this summer and beyond. 

The ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ campaign, launching in the UK August 14, 2024, delivers a seemingly light-hearted take on responsible drinking but lands a serious message, in a bid to cut through and put the issue front-of-mind with consumers this summer and beyond. 

Fronted by five-times Olympic medallist and world championship diver Tom Daley who is back from his last Olympics at Paris 2024, Malibu is launching the campaign in partnership with the UK’s leading water safety education and awareness charity, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), which reports that 1 in 4 drowning incidents are alcohol-related.

The hero PSA film features Tom Daley wearing custom knitted swim briefs and includes lyrics from the Piña Colada song, "If you like the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne," to highlight the dangers of drinking and swimming. The multi-channel campaign will be activated via eye-catching, floating out-of-home displays that will ‘pop up’ across water hot spots across the UK, while social and paid digital content will go live in support of content hosted on both Daley and Malibu’s owned platforms. Vibrant video and photography assets, produced by W+K London's in-house creative production studio WracK, feature Daley in Mallorca, wearing ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ knitted trunks and other apparel. The content will be sure to drive the message home in an engaging way using a touch of humour to sensitively land the serious point that sits at the core of the campaign.

Malibu’s VP of marketing, Craig van Niekerk, commented, “What we’re dealing with here is a serious issue, and Don’t Drink and Dive signals Malibu’s fully committed ambition to leveraging a long-term responsible drinking, behaviour-change platform, which raises awareness of the very real risks surrounding alcohol consumption near water. We’re delighted with how our agency partners have creatively come at this huge challenge and are excited to now see the campaign come to life in partnership with Tom Daley and the Royal Life Saving Society UK, both of whom we thank for their continued and passionate support."

Creative directors Philippa Beaumont and Freddy Taylor from global creative agency Wieden+Kennedy London said, "The 'Don’t Drink and Dive' platform allows Malibu to carve out a very ownable water safety space within the responsibly drinking category. We’re so proud that the first iteration landed us a national treasure, sporting life-saving, knitted swimwear. We're so excited for all the good we’ll be attempting to do as the platform evolves."

Today at Brighton Beach, campaign ambassador Tom Daley who is fresh from his farewell Olympic-diving performance at Paris 2024, kicked off the PR element of the campaign by posing in his exclusive Don’t Drink and Dive knitwear in front of a huge 2.4m high “1 in 4” statistic.  The statue made from the beach’s iconic pebbles aims to draw attention to the stark reminder that 1 in 4 drowning incidents in the UK are alcohol-related and has been highlighted alongside further new research released today, revealing many Brits’ surprisingly relaxed attitudes towards drinking alcohol near water. 

The knitted apparel emblazoned with the ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ message, worn by Daley for the campaign, is also exclusively available to buy, as a limited-edition capsule collection from his own Made With Love brand, with all proceeds from every purchase being donated to RLSS UK. Designed in collaboration with Daley himself for the campaign with Malibu and RLSS UK, the collection ranges from cheeky knitted swim briefs to stylish sunglasses, a hip bucket hat and brilliantly impractical sliders. 

The exclusive range is available to buy now at www.bytomdaley.com Funds raised will be used to provide expert lifesaving education on water safety and drowning prevention in the UK and Ireland. In support of the campaign, Malibu has also pledged financial support and resources to RLSS UK, to assist them in raising better awareness around water safety. 

Matt Croxall, charity director at the Royal Life Saving Society UK said, "Sadly, the risks of being around water under the influence of alcohol can be underestimated. This campaign – whilst on the surface appearing light-hearted – seeks to resonate and deliver a lifesaving message around the importance of not drinking alcohol and getting into water in any capacity. We’re delighted to have this opportunity to work alongside Malibu and Tom Daley on this quirky campaign which is bringing to life the dangers of drinking alcohol in or around water. Through this initiative, we urge people to learn more about how to stay safe and enjoy water safely this summer.” 

The 'Don’t Drink and Dive' campaign is the latest expression of Malibu’s ‘Do Whatever Tastes Good’ philosophy and aligns with the brand’s ambition to keep the good times rolling while being mindful of the need to enjoy alcohol responsibly around water, especially as summer hits and those good times are often enjoyed by the sea, the pool, and lakes, whilst being mindful of the need to enjoy alcohol responsibly around water, especially as the summer hits and those good times are often enjoyed by the sea, the pool and lakes. To learn more about water safety and view all campaign assets, visit www.dontdrinkanddive.com.