In the immortal words of Logan Roy: “Clock off!” Any fan of Succession knows that’s not what the irascible tycoon said, ever. But Brian Cox—the actor behind the legendary uber-boss—is doing a 180-degree turn from that famous hard-driving persona, fully inhabiting a breezy new role as a happy hour ambassador. Cox has signed on as one of the first celebrity endorsers for Malibu liqueur in a global campaign that shows him breaking out of the corporate rut and living his best beachside life, with an assist from an icy piña colada and vintage roller skates. A 60-second hero ad, launching today from agency Wieden+Kennedy London and Prettybird director Tim Heidecker, shows Cox leaving an interminable meeting at 5:01 p.m. sharp. He makes the most of his after-hours freedom by blissfully skating along an outdoor boardwalk in a flamingo-pink business suit.“He’s so associated with power and work culture and not clocking off, so there’s a bit of humor and an ironic twist here, making him the perfect spokesman,” Caroline Begley, Malibu’s vice president of U.S. marketing, told ADWEEK. “This brings the message to the masses that it’s okay to enjoy me-time.” Cox—whose growing commercial CV includes Asics, Uber One, DirecTV, and McDonald’s, among others—“was really amused by the script and what we were asking him to do,” per Begley. The award-winning actor knows his salty Succession patriarch and other characters made an impression on the viewing public, but he’s not that guy, he says. “I’m all about celebrating the enjoyment of life and taking time off for the people and things that matter,” Cox said in a statement. “We all need to disconnect if we want to enjoy what life has to offer.” The ad, shot in Barcelona late last year, used a stunt double, a movement coordinator, a custom-built motorized camera rig, and visual effects to create the fancy skating sequences, per the agency. Stolen sunshine, disguised overtime The campaign drops under the ongoing “Do Whatever Tastes Good” marketing banner, with the Pernod Ricard-owned brand continuing to tout its year-round vacation mindset. With music carving out a prominent place in its marketing, as in past efforts, Malibu and W+K used the recognizable hit “Steal My Sunshine” from alt rock band Len for “Brian Cox Clocks Off.” “He’s so associated with power and work culture and not clocking off, so there’s a bit of humor and an ironic twist here, making him the perfect spokesman,” Caroline Begley, Malibu’s vice president of U.S. marketing, told ADWEEK. “This brings the message to the masses that it’s okay to enjoy me-time.” Cox—whose growing commercial CV includes Asics, Uber One, DirecTV, and McDonald’s, among others—“was really amused by the script and what we were asking him to do,” per Begley. The award-winning actor knows his salty Succession patriarch and other characters made an impression on the viewing public, but he’s not that guy, he says. “I’m all about celebrating the enjoyment of life and taking time off for the people and things that matter,” Cox said in a statement. “We all need to disconnect if we want to enjoy what life has to offer.” The ad, shot in Barcelona late last year, used a stunt double, a movement coordinator, a custom-built motorized camera rig, and visual effects to create the fancy skating sequences, per the agency. Stolen sunshine, disguised overtime The campaign drops under the ongoing “Do Whatever Tastes Good” marketing banner, with the Pernod Ricard-owned brand continuing to tout its year-round vacation mindset. With music carving out a prominent place in its marketing, as in past efforts, Malibu and W+K used the recognizable hit “Steal My Sunshine” from alt rock band Len for “Brian Cox Clocks Off.” While aiming to further cement its chill vibe, Malibu rooted the campaign in consumer insights and the rising trend of “disguised overtime.” The company, after polling 13,000 adults, found that Americans are working an average of 15 extra hours a week, totaling nearly eight extra work days a year. The average worker juggles 28 lines of communication after hours each week, adding up to more than 17 hours of unpaid overtime per month. One in five Americans reports feeling overworked, while 71% feel pressured to work overtime. The phenomenon is “wearing us down,” per Craig van Niekerk, Malibu’s vice president of marketing, noting that the “clock off” message “feels more important than ever.” The work debuts as spirits sales overall have dipped by 3% in the U.S., per IWSR’s January through July 2024 stats. Rum sales specifically dropped 5% during that period, according to the researcher. Flavored rums make up 57% of America’s rum market. Per IWSR in 2023, Malibu was the top-selling white rum-based coconut liqueur in the world, part of the $2.4 billion category led by Bacardi and Captain Morgan. The companies have introduced a number of innovations in recent years to appeal to young drinkers, including ready-to-drink cocktails that are popular with millennials and Gen Z. Malibu has a history of creating limited-edition merchandise to go along with its ad campaigns, but there are no plans yet to sell a version of Cox’s pink suit or branded skates. The idea is worth considering, though, if there’s consumer demand, per Begley Meanwhile, the brand is kicking off the summer festival season with pop-up at Stagecoach, known as Coachella’s country music cousin, happening in the desert outside Los Angeles later this month. And in May, the brand will show up at Sand in My Boots, a three-day festival in Alabama headlined by Morgan Wallen. “Brian Cox Clocks Off” will air across connected TV, digital and social channels.
