• Ad Age, Tuesday, April 18, 2006 12 PM

Advertising a product on the radio is one thing, but owning your own station is quite another. That's what spirits marketer Bacardi is doing with plans to launch an ad-free, global radio station that will be broadcast 24 hours a day via the Internet and cell phones. Dubbed Bacardi B-Live, the initiative will launch in the U.K. next month and roll out internationally throughout the year. The company's goal is to extend the brand's association with music beyond regular events. "Thanks to developments in mobile and 3G handset technology it is possible for brands to take their music properties beyond clubs and festival fields," said John Burke, Bacardi's global brand director. B-Live will be cross-promoted through Bacardi's existing music events, which will be streamed through the new online radio station. There will also be digital and viral advertising. Adam Dewhurst, the project's global talent director, has identified three tiers of DJs and producers to contribute exclusive mixes for the new station. The first tier is made up of worldwide big-name DJs like Dmitri from Paris; the second tier is internationally known underground talents such as Sumo from Sweden and the Unabombers; the third is made up of popular local DJs.

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