RUM SODOMY AND THE LASH

HISTORY LESSON
Rum is one of the most romantic spirits. Made largely in the West Indies, it was served on British Navy ships and pirate ships alike was traded for slaves, banned in America on several occasions, is used in Jamaica to ward off evil spirits, and in St Lucia, is mixed with peanuts to form a popular aphrodisiac, Nuts'n'Rum. It has been known by various names, from Kill-Devil, to Barbados Water , Splice the Main Brace, The Pirate's Drink, and Nelson's Blood. [Apparently, when Nelson was killed at Trafalgar, and his body taken to England preserved in a barrel of rum, sailors would take an occasional nip, quite literally drinking Nelsons blood.]

The oldest rum distillery (Mount Gay, Barbados, established 1703) is older than the oldest whisky distillery (Strathisla, Chivas distillery, established 1786). Generally, to be considered rum, it has to be distilled in a place where sugar cane is grown. It is made either from molasses, or cane juice, from which it gets its distinctive flavour. Other additional flavourings come from it's ageing in oak barrels, in much the same way whisky does.



If you want to find out more, you can download 'rum lessons' from the excellent 'Rum Unversity' at this link.

COMPETITOR SET
'Golden rum' is the fastest growing spirits category in the UK. It also competes with party whiskys and vodkas. Here are a few of the leading competitors, and their creative communication strategies.

RUMS
Sailor Jerry
This brand was a new one on me, but currently doing well in the golden rums market. Great name, great look, clearly going for a more sophisticated outlook. They're named after legendary tattoo artist Sailor Jerry, and have a 'punk rock' and 'true original' positioning. They are running a great competition to win a years supply of rum, by singing the best rendition of The Damned's New Rose. And the best bit? You get to sing, live on stage, with Dave Vanian.



A typical entry


Bacardi
In rums, in the UK, it's seemed like a one-horse show for a while, with Bacardi dominating the scene, with it's white rum, which was clearly positioning itself right on the 'category promise' of 'passion' and 'latin'. It's famous 'Latin Quarter' campaign was a success all over the world. relive the magic here; "Last train? Not so bad. Not so bad at all!"



later, it added a touch of irony (not much) with this execution featuring ball-grabbing footballer Vinny Jones



Since 2007 though, Bacardi has been exploring the whole 'mixing' area, with a 'Made to Mix' theme. It focuses on the functional benefit that it's a good mixer, and on dramitizing the mixing Here's a latest installment, 'Bass Bins' from Alex Rutterford, featuring a Bacardi character dancing with a 'cranberry character'. Oh dear...



and here, another earlier example, Assimilate



It also forms a platform for live events, internet radio, etc, where - you guessed it - dj's 'mix up a storm' at specially organized Bacardi nights. Find out more at this link

OTHERS
Jack Daniels
Jack Daniels, the ultimate rockers drink has struggled with its relationship to music. On the one hand, it has probably the most consistent advertising campaign in history, that emphasizes authenticity. The famous print campaign has been running since 1954,(since 1996 in the UK) and celebrates the real American small town in Tennesee where the whisky is made, and the people who make it. Read more about the campaign here.



See more examples here.

However, with so many brands trying to 'claim' music, JD is in an enviable position, and in some countries it really exploits this platform. In the UK, it operates The JD Set, where unsigned bands compete, and the winners receive practical training and exposure to become bigger. Read about it here, or visit the site here.

More recently, it has been seen - ironically enough - on Mad Men, the tv show that depicts the lives of Maddison Avenue ad execs, exactly the kind of 'inauthentic' approach the Jack Daniels campaign has tried to avoid.

Southern Comfort
Absolut
Smirnoff