White rum-based coconut liqueur, Malibu, has enlisted the help of multi-award-winning actor, Brian Cox, to encourage people to Clock Off and ditch overwork. Brian might be most famous for portraying hard-nosed, no-compromise characters, but this summer he’s releasing his summer self
This comes on the heels of a new survey revealing well over three quarters (79 per cent) of workers across the UK, US, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain regularly work overtime, logging an average of two working days (16 hours) per week. Looking at who tops the table, the US ranked the highest with the average worker clocking a staggering 60 hours unpaid overtime per month, UK came in second with 40 hours and Germany was slightly less with 31 hours per month.
The second iteration of Malibu’s "Do Whatever Tastes Good" campaign is a rallying cry for the masses to down tools, switch off screens, and shut laptops on time, to make time for the people and things they love. Whether it’s a barbeque, picnic in the park, or a cheeky happy hour visit, Malibu wants people to remember how joyous clocking off on time can be!
To kick things off, Cox features in a fun new advert, sporting a bold pink suit and vintage roller skates. At exactly 17:01 pm Brian checks his watch, comes to his senses, and leaves the boardroom. He then skates down the boardwalk, inviting passers-by to clock off with him and release their summer selves. The advert ends with Brian in his ultimate clock-off destination - sitting back in his bespoke office-style recliner on the beach, with a heavenly Malibu Piña Colada in hand.
Brian Cox in pink suit roller skating on boardwalk for Malibu clock off campaign
While Brian is all about clocking off from the boardroom on time, the new survey has found there's a bigger issue at play – the rise of disguised overtime. Smartphones bring the office to our fingertips, and we’ve been found to regularly answer emails, instant messages, text messages, and calls well beyond working hours. The average worker sends and takes work-related messages and calls over 28 times per week outside of work hours, unintentionally racking up more than two full days of unpaid overtime every month.3 And, over one in three Brits (41 per cent) admit to working while on annual leave as they struggle to clock off from work.
To help people truly clock off, Malibu brought the world’s first ‘Clock Off Fountain’ to the heart of London. From 17:01pm yesterday, the overworked had the chance to toss their phones into the ‘Clock Off Fountain,’ releasing themselves from relentless emails and instant messages. There was no need to worry about phones being lost forever either – each device was safely wrapped in a watertight, padded case for peace of mind. When ready, the phones were safely retrieved from the fountain, allowing the over-workers to sit back, relax, and enjoy the liberation of unplugging with a complimentary Malibu Piña Colada in hand!
“Our mission is to make Malibu synonymous with summer and as we all start to experience longer evenings and more sunshine, we’re reminding everyone of what’s important… Clocking Off!" said Alison Perrottet, Brand Director for Pernod Ricard UK. "This is just the start of a whole host of activities we have planned throughout the summer months as part of the number one coconut rum in the UK’s ‘Do whatever tastes good platform’, which includes tapping into Happy Hours, sampling, and impulse activations for our ready-to-drink cans.”
