• by Les Luchter , November 26, 2021

How about some “ho, ho, ho and a bottle of rum” this holiday season? Here are three rum-filled campaigns announced in the past few days, from Bacardi, Diageo’s Captain Morgan, and The Kraken.

Bacardi’s “Winter Summerland” campaign from BBDO New York will run through Jan. 31 on national TV, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, Pandora, Soundcloud and iHeart Radio, plus an hour-long OOH showcase in New York’s Time Square during December. The creative centerpiece: three 15 spots inviting consumers to take a “holiday from the holidays,” featuring snow-covered scenes that turn into Caribbean-themed festivities.

The Caribbean focus will be reinforced with a Bacardi-branded Aviator Nation clothing line and the return of the brand’s limited-edition Bacardi Coquito, a cream-based coconut liqueur.

The clothing, available through ShopBacardi.com, consists of a hat ($48), joggers ($156) and zip-up hoodie ($189).

The Bacardi Coquito, said to be “reminiscent of eggnog on a tropical vacation,” is available in a 750 ml bottle ($19.99) from ReserveBar, Drizly and brick-and-mortar locations.

For those who prefer their rum spiced, Captain Morgan has enlisted actor Charles Melton (Reggie on The CW’s “Riverdale”) in a campaign against “shotface,” which the brand terms “a visceral reaction to a not-so-tasty shot of liquor that can manifest itself through an awkward wrinkle of the brow, a twist of the lips and scrunching of the nose.”

Melton demonstrates “shotface” in a YouTube/social media video from Anomaly New York that promotes a solution of Captain Morgan Sliced Apple Spiced Rum to induce “Sliced Apple Face” instead, and directs viewers to call a toll-free phone number to hear directly from Melton and learn how to get a $10 rebate through year’s end after buying a bottle or shot of Captain Morgan Sliced Apple.

Another spiced rum, The Kraken, will turn Black Friday into a sort of Halloween treat this week with a “Pitch Black Friday” promotion that promises to take the day “even darker” by awarding eight hourly prizes starting at noon -- in exchange for “a sacrifice required for a chance to win.”

Examples given include inking a tattoo of the mythical Kraken sea beast on your body for a chance to train for a submarine captain's license in Curacao (approximate retail value $23,000) or donating blood to earn a shot at a VIP hockey experience with the NHL's Seattle Kraken (approximate retail value $5,000 ARV).

Global Industry Analysts has estimated that the worldwide rum market will grow 5.3% annually to $20.6 billion by 2027, up from $14.4 billion in 2020.  Some 27% of the current business is in the U.S., with 2020 sales tabbed at $3.9 billion.