The archive · PR & Stunts · Marketing decision · 2024
Malibu turns Tom Daley's knitting into 'Don't Drink and Dive' water-safety wear
Malibu and retiring Olympic diver Tom Daley used knitted 'Don't Drink and Dive' swimwear and a PSA to warn of alcohol-linked drownings.
Malibu
What it had to solve
Malibu is a rum commonly enjoyed on beach holidays, so the brand aimed its responsible-drinking efforts at a water risk its drinkers actually meet: 1 in 4 drownings in the UK are linked to alcohol. The goal was meaningful change on an overlooked issue, not a box-ticking message.
How it works
Malibu is a rum commonly enjoyed on beach holidays, and its responsible-drinking efforts needed an issue that mattered where the product is drunk: in and around water. UK data showed 1 in 4 drownings are linked to alcohol, a risk the brand had not addressed.
The campaign found its messenger in Tom Daley, Britain's Olympic diver and famous knitter. With the Royal Life Saving Society as partner, Malibu created a range of knitwear carrying a simple message: Don't Drink and Dive.
The launch was timed to the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, when Daley retired and public conversation around him was at its highest, and was anchored by a PSA starring Daley in knitted speedos. The work is archived in the D&AD awards archive.
Why it lands
- Alcohol-related drowning was a real, overlooked risk for the brand's beach-holiday drinkers, so responsible drinking pointed at a behaviour rather than a slogan.
- Daley's retirement gave the campaign a national moment, and his knitting hobby made the medium itself the story.
- Partnering with the Royal Life Saving Society gave the warning expert authority instead of brand preaching.
- Knitwear turned the message into something wearable and photographable, extending the campaign beyond a single film.
What it did
The launch tied a drowning-safety warning to the most newsworthy moment of Daley's career, pairing a national charity's authority with his celebrity craft. The work entered the D&AD awards archive as a PR entry.
What you can take
When a brand owns a risky moment, find the messenger whose fame peaks exactly then: Daley's Olympic farewell made a water-safety warning feel urgent rather than preachy.
Since then
The campaign entered the D&AD awards archive as PR work, keeping the 'Don't Drink and Dive' warning attached to Malibu's beach-holiday image. For a rum brand, the partnership created a credible way to talk about water safety at the moment its audience was heading to the beach.
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