Let's Talk Let's Talk

Malibu Rum 101 Days Of Because Summer

Role
Senior UX Strategist
Client
Malibu Rum / Pernod Ricard USA
Agency
Pocket Made
Technology
Photoshop, After Effects, Social Media
Social Engagement Lift +25% Engagement increased across all platforms during the campaign, driven by content that appeared spontaneous while supported by a consistently engineered system.
Combined Impressions 60M This consistency was maintained across both organic and paid placements for 101 consecutive days, without any loss of visual coherence.
Toolkit Reach Global Malibu's regional marketing teams worldwide adopted the creative system I developed as a model for achieving brand consistency while allowing creative flexibility.
My Contribution

I designed and delivered a comprehensive creative system, including a visual language, a library of over 200 assets, motion-ready templates, and export specifications. This enabled animators, editors, and social teams across multiple agencies to execute consistently for 101 days while maintaining the brand's spontaneous, tropical personality.

Overview

Malibu Rum set out to make summer unforgettable with a 101-day digital event called “101 Days of Because Summer.” The campaign turned everyday moments into fun, shareable experiences, like pool-in-a-pickup tutorials and guacamole-cone recipes. I helped bring this playful, sunny vibe to every part of the project, building a full social media and content toolkit for their creative teams. From motion graphics for animators to static visuals for Facebook, Instagram, and the Malibu website, the project became a creative ecosystem that showed off the brand’s tropical personality all summer.

The
Challenge

Malibu’s social presence was vibrant but fragmented. Multiple agencies produced content, which often led to inconsistent tones and assets.
The challenge: How do we unify hundreds of pieces of content into one recognizable campaign without losing the spontaneity and joy that defines Malibu?
Goals:
  • Establish a centralized creative system for summer storytelling.
  • Develop visual templates and motion-ready assets that editors and animators can easily adapt.
  • Design static and animated content that transitions seamlessly across social, web, and live activations.

Creative
Direction

The design approach focused on one concept: “refreshing.” Every element, from texture to typography, was intended to evoke sunlight on wood, sand underfoot, and a splash of coconut rum.
Visual Language
  • Color Palette: Aqua teals, sun-bleached oranges, and natural textures such as woodgrain, lime peel, and grill marks.
  • Typography: Bold, hand-painted headline fonts paired with rounded sans-serif body copy to create a friendly tone.
  • Texture & Layering: Created in Photoshop using composited photography, vector overlays, and depth layering to simulate handcrafted summer visuals.
  • Iconography & Patterns: Coconut halves, splashing paint strokes, and tropical fruit motifs served as unifying graphic anchors across all deliverables.

Process &
Production

Although most of the campaign was delivered through short posts and videos, the foundational work was extensive.
Toolkit Development
I developed a comprehensive social media toolkit that included:
  • Over 200 branded elements (logos, stickers, icons, typographic treatments).
  • Layered PSD and vector assets for animation teams.
  • Export templates for multiple aspect ratios (16:9, 1:1, 9:16).
  • Integrated grid systems for static and carousel posts.
Collaboration
Worked closely with motion teams to design for animation, ensuring visual consistency from storyboard to final cut. Directed photography compositing to blend lifestyle and product imagery. Coordinated with content strategists to schedule releases over 101 consecutive days.

Campaign
Highlights

During the 101-day celebration, we developed a range of assets that captured the playful spontaneity of summer:
  • Feed Your Fun: Recipe graphics and motion spots highlighting Malibu-infused BBQ and cocktail mashups.
  • Black Moon Party: Launch visuals and videos showcasing Malibu’s night events, balancing warmth with nightlife energy.
  • Social Engagement Tools: Facebook Live overlays, Instagram Story templates, and branded reaction stickers.
  • How-To & DIY Videos: Created static and animated guides for easy, shareable life hacks, from tarp pools to cocktail ice molds.

Impact

The campaign became one of Malibu’s most engaging summer activations, delivering measurable increases across all platforms.
Results
  • Achieved a 25% increase in engagement rate across all social platforms during the campaign period, driven by content designed to appear handcrafted and spontaneous through a purpose-built system.
  • Generated 60 million combined impressions across organic and paid placements, maintaining visual coherence for 101 consecutive days
  • Developed a creative toolkit that was recognized internally and adopted by Malibu's regional marketing teams worldwide as a model for maintaining brand consistency with creative flexibility.
Reflection
“101 Days of Because Summer” reinforced how effective design energizes a campaign. Every piece of content, whether a five-second motion post or a banner ad, carried a spark of sunshine.
The key takeaway from Malibu is that a strong creative system enables, rather than limits, a campaign. It ensures that 101 days of content feel unified under a single concept.
Prev
Next
Central, Florida
Linkedin
[email protected]
Let's Talk Let's Talk