Summary: thoughts following Bacardi research (27/01/13)

Below are some points and ideas following research I have carried out around the Bacardi brand/company, which may be angles to approach the brief from:

- Bacardi was the original rum; it's authenticity and history are not known widely known but could distinguish it as a quality product and not a cheap spirit.

- Bacardi's founder (a man) pioneered a lot of rum-making processes and revolutionised the drink.

- It goes through a very specialised and bespoke process: they use the best ingredients and hand-picked oak barrels; the rum blenders have years of training, all to give Bacardi it's unique taste. Again, this emphasises it is a premium product.

- Even the bat logo has meaning (the tin-roof distillery in Cuba where Bacardi started out has bats in the rafters and the founders wife persuaded him to use it as a symbol for the brand as it was so easily recognisable and was said to signify wealth and good fortune).

- Bacardi has quite a male-orientated background; not only did a man invent it, but soldiers drank it and invented the Cuba Libre cocktail (rum and coke) during the American-Spanish War.

- Bacardi survived earthquakes, prohibition in America and unrightful seizure of its assets by the government.

- Bacardi is the world's favourite, most awarded and top selling spirit. It's previously been portrayed as a "social" drink with a party-feel about it.

- It's mainly known for it's versatility and suitability to cocktails (some cocktails can only contain Bacardi, not other types of rum) - however this might not be an ideal selling point for men as cocktails could be seen as too feminine and fussy.

Concept ideas:
- "The king of rum, the rum of kings" (a slogan previously used with reference to Bacardi being given Royal approval - a king is obviously a male role and signifies power)

- "Made by men, for men" (links to origins/history of Bacardi plus target audience)

- "The rum of the bat" (how Bacardi originally became known; quite a masculine symbol - dark side)

- "You're missing out" / "Don't miss out" (connotations of Bacardi being the world's favourite rum; could link to statistics of how many rum and cokes are drunk per second to show its popularity)

- "If Bacardi hadn't revolutionised rum, we might still be acting like pirates" (again, a link to heritage/roots of Bacardi - could provide interesting imagery with a humourous side)

- "Do you think soldiers would drink a cocktail/girls drink?" (link to history plus perception of Bacardi being a feminine drink - shows it has a masculine side/story)


Images from Bacardi Archive (online); video of 2012 Bacardi ad from YouTube