Malibu taps creator Sabrina Brier for ‘Get Ready With Me’ campaign to promote new Pink spirit
For the launch of its new Malibu Pink spirit, Malibu is tapping into one of the most tried-and-true content formats on social media: the “get ready with me” video.
Malibu is partnering with creator and comedian Sabrina Brier for the “Get Ready With Malibu Pink” campaign. The campaign’s rollout includes a stop-motion ad starring Brier, along with several pop-ups in partnership with the fashion brand LoveShackFancy. The new Pink spirit, which rolled out in January, is made with notes of guava, coconut and pineapple, and is geared at young female drinkers. In turn, Malibu is focusing much of the campaign on showing the versatile ways Malibu Pink can be used in different Instagram-ready cocktails and spritzes. By utilizing the #GRWM format, Malibu is hoping to turn the creator-led content into a strong awareness play for its newest product.
Saragh Killeen, brand director at Malibu, told Modern Retail that Malibu chose the “get ready with me” format as it has become heavily embedded in social media culture for the last few years.
“That ‘getting ready with me’ moment is where you have that first drink of the night and a peak bonding moment with your favorite people,” Killeen said. The #GRWM video format, typically associated with YouTube fashion and beauty influencers, has amassed billions of views since it first emerged around 2011.
Killeen said that the campaign’s use of the video format also fits well with the positioning of Malibu’s new product, Malibu Pink. “We felt this is the best way to connect with our target audience of Zillennial drinkers,” she said.
When it came to choosing a star for the campaign, Killeen said Brie “is definitely one of NYC’s ‘it-girl’ creators right now,” having made several top creator lists in the last couple of months.
With Brier soaring in popularity among Gen Z and young millennials, Killeen said that “having her as the face of the new Malibu Get Ready with Pink campaign will help showcase the drink’s potential to be sipped during a night out with friends.
At the same time, Killeen said, Malibu Pink also wanted a fashion partner to help bring the campaign to life. “LoveShackFancy has a strong resonance with the Gen Z and millennial female audience, which is a key target for us,” she said. “And collaborating with them made a lot of sense because they already do a lot of work in the ‘get ready with me’ space.”
Killeen said that Gen Z likes to have options when it comes to alcohol, such as the ability to make lower-ABV drinks or light spritzes. This is reflected in the recipe content the brand is already seeing from Malibu Pink customers. “On social media, we are seeing that the main way people drink this is by mixing it with lemonade,” she said. “Some people are making slushies or adding it to a spritz.” One of the popular emerging recipes has been a pink margarita, which the brand is coining as a “Pink Pink Guavarita.”
Amel Soro is the CEO of Bottle Nexus, an e-commerce platform that helps alcohol brands build affiliate and influencer programs. Soro said that with today’s shifting drinking habits, alcohol brands have to get more creative in reaching young customers. Authentic-feeling social media campaigns are one way to cut through the noise.
“Creators are incredibly effective for alcohol brands because they turn discovery into action,” Soro said. “Younger consumers respond far more to trusted personalities than to traditional brand messaging,” he added. And with the regulations surrounding alcohol advertising, creator and affiliate partnerships have become a strong channel for brands trying to turn traffic into sales.
Killeen said the Get Ready With Malibu Pink campaign will “hard launch” at two activations during Stagecoach in April. LoveShackFancy, known for its pink branding, will participate through both joint social media content and experiential pop-ups. For example, the fashion brand will provide “getting ready” assets and products at the Malibu Pink pop-up suites.
On one of the Stagecoach days, the Malibu Pink Suite will host people to get their hair and makeup done for the country music festival. “They can also come and have a few drinks at our pink neon disco diner-themed pop-up,” Killeen said, with opportunities for creators to make their own #GRWM content.
The pop-up will then have stops at Rolling Loud in Orlando, Governors Ball Music Festival in New York and Day Trip Festival in Long Beach, Calif. The pop-ups will specifically promote the new ready-to-drink Malibu Pink Cocktails, which are made with Dole pineapple juice.
As Brier pushes the “Get Ready With Malibu Pink” campaign for the spring launch phase, Killeen said other creators will begin to go live with their own #GRWM videos sponsored by the new drink. The goal is to use influencers not only to publicize the Malibu Pink launch, she said. “But we also want [influencers] to educate people on how to drink it.”