Morgan's Spiced gets promoted to Captain

A £7m rebrand for Diageo-owned Morgan's Spiced will see it renamed Captain Morgan's Spiced, sporting a new look and supported with an on-trade campaign and new TV advertising.

Owner Diageo wants to bring the golden rum-based spirit into line with the rest of the world where it is sold as Captain Morgan's Spiced.

"Consumers may already be aware of the Captain Morgan brand from the dark rum currently available in the GB market," said marketing manager Ali Wilkes.

"The addition of the Captain figurehead to the title and the label of Morgan's Spiced will create synergy across the two brands and also give Morgan's Spiced an identifiable personality.

"We're also keen to reassure consumers that although the presentation of the brand is slightly different, it's still the same great tasting liquid that they know and love inside the bottle."

Aimed at 18 to 24-year-old males the brand will be promoted as a drink for "unpretentious party fun."

Diageo is joining forces with the NUS, Luminar and other pub companies to host 3,000 party nights between June 2011 and June 2012.

Sampling, PoS kits and visits from the Captain and his "Morganettes" will create buzz and excitement around the brand, said Wilkes.

The activity will concentrate around promoting the "Captain and cola" serve, which is already the number two bar call in the US.

The new TV advertising campaign will launch in the autumn.