‘Don’t Drink and Dive!’ Malibu, Tom Daley, and the Royal Life Saving Society UK Join Forces to Highlight Dangers of Drinking In & Around Water

Today, the world’s number one white rum-based coconut spirit, Malibu launches a new responsible drinking campaign with former Olympic gold-medalist Tom Daley and the Royal Life Saving Society UK to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking alcohol in and around water, a first for the category. The new ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ campaign aims to keep the issue front-of-mind to keep the fun times safe this summer and beyond.

 Fronted by former Olympic gold medalist and world championship diver Tom Daley, Malibu is launching the campaign in partnership with the UK’s leading water safety education and awareness charity, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), which reports that one in four drowning incidents are alcohol related.

 With summer in full swing and the August bank holiday just around the corner, it’s crucial to address the issue now as new research[1] commissioned by Malibu and RLSS UK released today reveals just how relaxed some Brits’ attitudes are towards the risks of consuming alcohol around water. With 78% of Gen Z drinkers believing it’s fine to have one or more drinks before getting into the water and 62% of Brits admitting to having swam or entered water after consuming an alcoholic beverage, this campaign couldn’t come at a better time.

Today at Brighton Beach, campaign ambassador Tom Daley who is fresh from his farewell Olympic-diving performance at Paris 2024, kicked off the PR element of the campaign by posing in his exclusive Don’t Drink and Dive knitwear in front of a huge 2.4m high “1 in 4” statistic. The statue made from the beach’s iconic pebbles aims to draw attention to the stark reminder that 1 in 4 drowning incidents in the UK are alcohol related.

To further mark the awareness campaign, Malibu has launched a limited-edition capsule collection of knitted apparel. The collection, emblazoned with the ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ message and worn by Daley for the campaign, is exclusively available to buy from his own Made With Love brand, with all proceeds from every purchase being donated to RLSS UK. Designed in collaboration with Daley himself for the campaign, the collection ranges from cheeky knitted swim briefs to stylish sunglasses, a hip bucket hat and brilliantly impractical sliders. 

 The exclusive range is available to buy now and funds raised will be used to provide expert lifesaving education on water safety and drowning prevention in the UK and Ireland. In support of the campaign, Malibu has also pledged financial support and resources to RLSS UK, to assist them in raising better awareness around water safety. The ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’ campaign, launches in the UK August 14, 2024 and delivers a seemingly light-hearted take on responsible drinking but lands a serious message, in a bid to cut through and put the issue front-of-mind with consumers this summer and beyond.

Malibu’s VP of Marketing, Craig van Niekerk, commented: “What we’re dealing with here is a serious issue, and Don’t Drink and Dive signals Malibu’s fully committed ambition to leveraging a long-term responsible drinking, behaviour-change platform, which raises awareness of the very real risks surrounding alcohol consumption near water. We are excited to see the campaign come to life in partnership with Tom Daley and the Royal Life Saving Society UK, both of whom we thank for their continued and passionate support.”

Matt Croxall, Charity Director at the Royal Life Saving Society UK said: "Sadly, the risks of being around water under the influence of alcohol can be underestimated. This campaign – whilst on the surface appearing light-hearted – seeks to resonate and deliver a lifesaving message around the importance of not drinking alcohol and getting into water in any capacity. We’re delighted to have this opportunity to work alongside Malibu and Tom Daley on this quirky campaign which is bringing to life the dangers of drinking alcohol in or around water. Through this initiative, we urge people to learn more about how to stay safe and enjoy water safely this summer.”

The 'Don’t Drink and Dive' campaign is the latest expression of Malibu’s ‘Do Whatever Tastes Good’ philosophy and aligns with the brand’s ambition to keep the good times rolling while being mindful of the need to enjoy alcohol responsibly around water, especially as summer hits and those good times are often enjoyed by the sea, the pool, and lakes.  

-ENDS-

About Malibu

With its iconic white bottle and palm tree logo, Malibu is the number one white rum-based coconut spirit in the world with more than 4 million cases sold in more than 150 countries each year. Made with white rum, the original coconut-flavoured liqueur is a staple in famous cocktails such as piña coladas and daiquiris. Its portfolio brings the refreshing taste of summer, inspiring a mindset of spontaneity and fun where the sun shines all year round – wherever you are in the world, Malibu invites you to do whatever tastes good.Discovered in the late 1970s, Malibu has been part of the Pernod Ricard Group since 2005 and today, the original Malibu flavour is more popular than ever. In recent years, Malibu has continued to embody the spirit of summer by introducing a range of flavoured liqueurs, together with a selection of ready-to-drink cocktails, of which more than one million cases are sold each year. For more information on Malibu click here.

About RLSS UK

Since 1891, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has been sharing its expertise in water safety, lifesaving, and lifeguarding to educate everyone to enjoy water safely. RLSS UK is the leading water safety education charity, committed to reducing the number of drowning deaths across the UK and Ireland. RLSS UK also collaborates with international water safety partners and thought-leaders to contribute to reducing the number of worldwide drowning-related deaths.  

RLSS UK supports the availability of safe places to play and swim, ensuring competent lifeguard provision at indoor and outdoor venues across the UK and Ireland. In addition, its work sees vital water safety education delivered across the UK and Ireland. Thanks to support from educators and RLSS UK’s community networks, last year, an estimated 2.26m+ children were educated in water safety using their free materials and resources. 

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand development, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes.

 Our mission is to ensure the long-term growth of our brands with full respect for people and the environment while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive and responsible culture of authentic conviviality. Pernod Ricard’s consolidated sales amounted to € 12,137 million in fiscal year FY23. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.

Responsibility Statement

The Absolut Company AB and all companies within the Pernod Ricard group have a longstanding tradition of promoting responsible drinking. Responsibility is of a particular importance given the sensitive products we deal with. Our products are for most people associated with pleasure, enjoyment and socializing, but can have quite the opposite effect when not handled responsibly. Thus, all our marketing activities are conducted with care for the consumer. As a company we also have a responsibility for how we act in relation to the world around us and the society we live in. We strive to always act in a way that shows that we deserve the confidence and appreciation of our stakeholders, no matter who or where they are. Through a broad spectrum of initiatives, often in partnership with outside organizations, including industry associations, regulators, public authorities and representatives, we as well as our affiliates are deeply committed to promoting responsible drinking and discouraging misuse of our products.

 We believe responsible drinking is consistent with the maintenance of a balanced and positive lifestyle for most adults who choose to drink. For this reason, we would like to recommend the following reading: Distilled Spirits Council of the United States DISCUS, the spirits EUROPE Guidelines for the Development of Responsible Marketing Communications and Pernod Ricard’s commitments.

[1] Survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted by independent research agency OnePoll between 23^rd and 26^th July 2024