To celebrate the launch of Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0.0% the brand has launched a campaign starring internet sensation, Nick Fraser, known for his viral song ‘Why You Always Lying’.

The campaign draws inspiration from Fraser’s lyrics to poke fun at the way people get asked ‘why’ if they aren’t drinking alcohol. The campaign challenges negative societal pressures and uses humour to break down social barriers around non-alcoholic beverages.

A hero film that takes place at a house party begins with a guest making himself a drink with Captain Morgan 0.0%. When a friend turns to him and asks why he isn’t drinking, gasps begin, the music cuts and viral star Nick Fraser pops up in his iconic shirt. Fraser asks ‘why’ before breaking into a rewrite of his famous track with the lyrics ‘Why You Always Lying’ replaced with ‘Why You Always Whying’. The humorous spot pokes fun at the absurdity of friends who always ask ‘why’.

The campaign aims to highlight the fact that when choosing to select a non-alcoholic drink, people shouldn’t be required to justify their decision with a reason. Breaking down the stigma of choosing non-alcoholic and poking fun at the potential awkwardness also encourages the ‘why’ askers to stop asking questions. The spot aims to challenge people and normalise moderation in social settings. 

“We want to use the power of our marketing to make responsible drinking a social and cultural norm and partnering with viral sensation Nick Fraser - who exudes creativity, humour and spice - helped deliver an important message in a unique and fun way,” explained Samori Gambrah, Global Brand Director of Captain Morgan.

The campaign was produced by Outsider and directed by their Cape Town-based director Karien Cherry who has achieved international recognition for her rich cinematic worlds. Created by Anomaly, the TV spot will launch in the UK.  Alongside the launch of the video content will be a series of gifs and digital activations. 

Humour enabling free spirits 

The launch points to the growth of the alcohol free category. Earlier this year Pinterest identified a ‘Free Spirit' trend that showed people have grown tired of being judged for not drinking alcohol in its Pinterest Predicts report. Through humour and engaging with internet culture, Captain Morgan is able to break down taboos and help consumers have more ownership of their choices whilst still maintaining fun and enjoyment.

Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0.0% has been carefully developed over the past two years by Diageo’s innovation team designed to maintain intricate layers of flavour that start with rich notes of caramel, molasses, vanilla that warm to brown spices. It is the first alcohol free innovation from Captain Morgan, and Diageo’s first alcohol free dark spirit. As an alcohol-free spirit, future campaigns will contribute towards Diageo's Spirit of Progress ambition of reaching 1 billion consumers with moderation messages by 2030.

The humorous campaign borrows from internet culture to show that alcohol-free need not be boring. By challenging social norms and giving consumers more choices, Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0.0% is able to maintain the spirit of the brand just with less alcohol.