Malibu Rum & Snapchat: Cheers to Successful Multi-Format Campaigns

A household name for almost half a century, Malibu Rum could arguably coast on its esteemed reputation alone, but this heritage brand had other ideas.

Using the launch of Malibu Strawberry as a springboard, it turned to Snapchat to ensure Malibu’s longevity among younger generations.

Eager to engage Gen Z, while continuing to drive awareness of its existing “Do Whatever Tastes Good” campaign, Malibu Rum prioritised reach, lens playtime, share rate, cost per video completion and video completion rate.

Focused on driving awareness and engagement among 18-34-year-olds in the UK, the brand paid close attention to the community’s online tendencies. As its target demographic uses Snapchat to establish real connections and enjoy meaningful experiences, Malibu Rum knew its new product would need to play a distinct role within that world.

Opting for a multi-product approach over the course of six weeks in the summer, the brand mixed Snap commercials with an AR lens; the former tapping into Snapchatters’ authenticity and the latter transporting them to fun and foreign climes.

Malibu Rum found its sweet spot when it partnered with Snapchat to hype its new flavour and evolve its DWTG campaign, as ad and message awareness more than doubled.

Snapchat not only helped the brand to deliver on its main KPIs, it also allowed it to reach a unique audience. Meanwhile, the AR lens increased consideration, boasting a 13-second average play-time as well as engagement rates above benchmarks.

Malibu Rum attributes the campaign’s overall success to its multi-placement utilisation – an approach it intends to leverage again in the future.