The world of rum dredges up nautical and adventuresome images, that is what the "Madison Avenue" types are focused on when they pour out the rum ads. Rum has the image of a sexy and exciting outlaw spirit. It is thought of with the idea of getting you away from the city and the doldrums of life, getting you into the high seas adventures of pirates and other swashbucklers. There is also the whimsical side of rum as well, like the 10 Cane ad on the right.
Cruzan takes a look at the dramatic in their ads of high drama flying. Both of these ads are geared to get your adrenaline pumping and headed out to purchase their spirit. I truly mean spirit, not only is rum the spirit of the sugar cane, but a spirit of the mind as well. It has the spirit of adventure and all of the fun that is associated with it.
There is a truly sexy side of rum as well. The pirate wench, the lovely salsa dancers of the Caribbean or the Polynesian hula girls of the Pacific. The lure of the opposite sex is always a part of any ad campaign, and especially one that rum is a part of.Even the ads during Prohibition that lured the rum lover to an exotic time in Havana and a chance to enjoy their Bacardi brought the visions of an adventure in a far away place and a chance to skirt the law and enjoy the "demon rum" that the states had outlawed. Pan American Airways and Bacardi teamed up to lure the prosperous Americans to Havana for rum, gambling, extravagant shows and a bit of larceny.
Today it is still much of the same, and the ads that you remember are the sexy adventuresome ones that get your imagination going and take you to a place with "Jack Sparrow" or "Gilligan" on an abandon island with Ginger and Maryanne. Isn't a wonderful spirit that does all this for us and we don't even have to leave the house to enjoy it. ;o)
