Diageo produces women-led responsible drinking campaign

Diageo's brands have been part of people’s celebrations for generations. The company makes them with pride, and they are made to be enjoyed responsibly.

Diageo has produced an impressive women-led campaign that focuses on responsible drinking, featuring its Captain Morgan brand and an incredible performance by multi-award-winning singer, songwriter and rapper Bree Runway. The piece is directed by Jocelyn Anquetil and calls on people to ‘Enjoy Slow’ - and celebrate drinking in moderation.

Bree Runway slows down the iconic track, Rhythm of the Night song for the Captain Morgan responsible drinking campaign to encourage responsible drinking, calling on people around the world to ‘Enjoy Slow’.

An impressive women-led campaign

The up-tempo song was chosen not only for its significance as one of the most prominent dance classics of the 90s, but also for its lyrics. Echoing the words, this is the rhythm of the night, ‘Enjoy Slow’ encourages drinkers to set their own pace, and not be afraid to say no to a drink or another round. The ambition is to normalize moderation in social settings as aspirational and fun, contributing towards Diageo's Spirit of Progress ambition of reaching one billion consumers with moderation messages by 2030.

Creating the responsible drinking campaign

Having risen to fame and burst onto the music scene with her own spin on iconic anthems, Bree Runway has been nominated for Best New International Act as well as the Brits Rising Star award and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine in the UK. Her unique genre bending style has given the party track a laid-back feel, re-imagining it for a new audience.

“This collaboration felt like a natural fit for me as I actually started out doing mashups and my own versions of songs. Rhythm of the Night is such a well-known, fast-paced track and slowing it down has been a fun experience that really brings the message of moderation to life in a creative way. It goes to prove that just because something is slower, doesn’t mean it’s less enjoyable. Less alcohol doesn’t mean less fun. The entire process has been so collaborative, I’ve felt very connected to the campaign,” said Bree.

“We want to use the power of our marketing and partnerships to make responsible drinking celebratory and a social and cultural norm. The ‘Enjoy Slow’ campaign is all about people setting their own pace and not being afraid to say no to a drink or another round. Captain Morgan is a brand that’s about spice, individuality and fun and Bree is the perfect partner for the project as she possesses all these qualities in spades,” commented Diageo Global Brand Director of Captain Morgan, Samori Gambrah.

The impactful role of music in storytelling

Jocelyn Anquetil was appointed to direct the campaign, the campaign was developed by Virtue Worldwide, the creative agency powered by VICE Media Group and produced by Pulse Films.

“Directing this campaign was a creative challenge, creating a world where the pace slows down but doesn’t compromise on energy and warm, fun vibes. It’s definitely not what we’re used to, but I feel like the collision of these opposing forces really paid off. And having worked with Bree before I knew she was the perfect personality to deliver the message of the project - no one’s telling her what to do, she just does what she feels, and in this case, she’s taking it slooooow and no one can tell her otherwise!,” explained Director, Pulse Films, Jocelyn Anquetil.

“We learnt from consumer testing that in order to create an effective responsible drinking campaign, we needed it to be fun and land in a way that feels positive. Music is an incredibly impactful tool for storytelling and the lyrics in Rhythm of the Night worked perfectly to share our important message around moderation. Pairing that song with Bree’s laid back, mellow vibes really brought to life the creative vision of the campaign,” said Executive Creative Director, Virtue, Nate Woodhead.

Having fun while slowing down

The global ‘Enjoy Slow’ campaign consists of an omni channel launch including digital and broadcast that will initially launch in Great Britain, South Africa this Spring, and markets across Eastern Europe later this year, followed by additional countries around the world. The first set of media plans are set to deliver over 163 million impressions across the UK and South Africa alone.

The ‘Enjoy Slow’ campaign is part of Captain Morgan’s broader commitment to responsible drinking. Captain Morgan continues to leverage relationships with US sports associations to encourage the consumption of water and has recently partnered with THINK! in the UK to tackle drink driving.

"Today we are filming a global campaign with Captain Morgan. It's all about enjoying slow. The campaign's actually called enjoy slow. It's all about moderation. Less alcohol doesn't mean less fun, you could still be your hottest and your best on the dance floor. So, I'm actually queen of enjoying slow, I'm all about just being here in the moment, but taking it easy at the same time," said Bree.

"I think it's kind of funny that we've slowed down such an iconic track, that's what it's all about isn't it? It's like the best things can be slowed down and still be fun. It still has that group to it as you're going see."

"This collaboration was even more perfect for me because I actually came up on doing mashups and my own versions of songs. Working with the whole crew has been so amazing it's been extremely collaborative. I'm just so happy I get to be a part of something that is super true to me," Bree explained.

"Let's normalize it. It's all good to take it slow," concluded Bree.