Your Shot: Bacardi ‘Untameable Since 1862’

Whether your tipple’s a minty mojito, a fruity daiquiri, an exotic piña colada or you like it straight up with coke, ‘Untameable Since 1862’ will make you saviour that Bacardi in your glass a little more. Devised by BETC London, the new global campaign documents the amazing struggles that Bacardi has faced since its formation in 1862. The family brand has overcome a fire in 1880, 1920 American prohibition, an earthquake in 1932 and Fidel Castro’s rise to Cuban power in the 1960s that led to his seizure of all the brand’s Cuban assets. LBB’s Addison Capper spoke with BETC ECD, Neil Dawson, and Bacardi Global Communication Director, Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, about the gritty, epic story. 

 

Check out the campaign’s TVC here and print work below. 

 

LBB> What was the brief like from Bacardi and what were your initial thoughts when you saw it?  

ND> My initial thoughts were – wow, this kind of opportunity doesn't come round very often, if ever. An amazing true story that is largely unknown and clients determined to completely reset the dials on what their global brand stands for. 

LBB> The campaign focuses on the gritty strong past and personality of Bacardi as a brand, instead of its purity as a drink – why is that?  

KA> Bacardi is a huge brand, but one that people don't know much about.  We felt there was an opportunity to reveal the soul; to communicate the story and the irrepressible spirit behind the brand - and thus connect with consumers in a new way, on an entirely different level.  We believe that ‘Untameable Since 1862’ will encourage people to pursue their passions no matter what - much like the Bacardi family did.

 

LBB> And what do you think that strategy will achieve for Bacardi as a brand? 

KA> We think this campaign infuses Bacardi with the authenticity of its origins, and celebrates a universally resonant attitude.  It should make people think differently about Bacardi, and make the brand even more resonant with Millennial consumers - who are faced with a time of great uncertainty and economic turmoil - aspire to the same attitude and irrepressible spirit of the brand.

 

LBB> The brand's history is an eventful one - how difficult was it to condense all of that into one campaign and how did you arrive at the final idea? 

ND> It was an embarrassment of riches. The Bacardi brand and heritage demands ambition in all phases of the project. So it was important to find an idea that could carry that amount of information and do it in a way that conveys the irrepressible spirit of the brand. In ‘Procession’ the man is a metaphor for Bacardi's irrepressible spirit. He travels through epic representations of historical events the family have lived through over the generations with a tonal and visual palette that is sophisticated, worldly, smart, dangerous, and deeply alluring. 

LBB> Why was Dante Ariola the right man to shoot the TV ad? 

ND> Dante and MJZ have an unrivalled reputation for craft. Both he and I have creatively worked on Johnnie Walker in the past so I knew he had the experience on world-class brands. I also knew he was a great filmmaker and passionate in the extreme – prerequisites in creating a standout piece of film. 

 

LBB> What was the shoot like as a whole? It all looks pretty bombastic! 

ND> It was. Capturing everything at that scale in camera made it quite a spectacle. We took over the town of Ouro Preto, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Brazil with a cast of hundreds including acrobats, dancers and flame throwers.  It had to feel ‘bombastic’ or altogether unique as the tone of ’procession’ lives on the fine line between the dreamlike/surreal and the authentic/unidentifiable. 

LBB> What were the biggest challenges during the campaign's conception and how did you overcome them? 

KA> The biggest challenge in creating global campaigns of this scale is that they have to be universally resonant - and be able to be flexed by market.  Thankfully, the brand story and attitude gave us a universal truth to start from.  

 

LBB> The industry is seeing more and more content focused on a brand's story or history, as opposed to a campaign focused purely on a product - why do you think that is and what do you think of it? 

KA> Consumers are looking for more authenticity and storytelling from their brands - and focusing on heritage gives brands the platform to do just that.  For Bacardi, the unique approach is that this isn't just our history; it's the celebration of a universally appealing spirit.

Credits

Bacardi ‘Untameable Since 1862’ Global Brand Idea
Brand: Bacardi Rum (Global)

Clients: 
Andy Gibson, Chief Marketing Officer
Dmitry Ivanov, Senior Global Category Director (Rums)
Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, Global Communication Director (Rums) 
Gabrielle Gribbin, Global Marketing Manager (Rums) 

Agencies:
BETC London (Lead Creative Agency) 
Camp + King (US Agency)
Mr. President (Digital Agency)
Citizen Relations (Public Relations Agency)

TVC ‘Procession’ 

Agency: BETC London
Executive creative director: Neil Dawson
Copywriter: Clive Pickering, Ciara O’Meara
Art director: Simon Morris
Agency producer: Olly Chapman
Strategy: Andrew Stirk
Client services: Matthew Charlton, Cris Butler, Zoë Hinckley

Production company: MJZ 
Director: Dante Ariola
Producer: Natalie Hill
Editor: Andrea MacArthur @ Peepshow
Director of photography: Phillipe le Sourd 
Post-Production company: Framestore 
Sound design: Factory – Anthony Moore

Print and Outdoor

Agency: BETC London & Camp + King
Executive Creative Director: Neil Dawson (BETC London) Roger Camp (Camp + King)
Copywriter/Creative Director: Clive Pickering, Ciara O’Meara, James Briggs (BETC London) Adam Koppel (Camp + King)
Art Director/Creative Director: Simon Morris, (BETC London) Rikesh Lal (Camp + King)
Head of Design: Louise Sloper (BETC London)
Designers: Ben Edwards, Felix Hayes (BETC London)
Agency producer: Anthony Borkett, Ali Power (BETC London) David Verhoef, Amy Henderson (Camp + King)
Strategy: Andrew Stirk (BETC London) Shannon Gillmore (Camp + King) 
Client Services: Matthew Charlton, Cris Butler, Zoë Hinckley (BETC London) Jamie King, Melissa Stavish, Grace Lazarus (Camp + King)
Photographer: The Wade Brothers – Lindsey and Lyndon Wade