CAPTAIN MORGAN AND ITS LOVE AFFAIR WITH SOCCER
Michael Hepworth
I am not aware of the exact history of the sporting events that Captain Morgan Rum has sponsored but their one and only sponsorship deal in 2020 is with the MLS or Major League Soccer to the uninitiated. I saw the extent of that sponsorship at the opening weekend of the new season with the best team in the league, Los Angeles Football Club aka LAFC.
Captain Morgan Rum is part of the massive drinks conglomerate Diageo and judging by the amount of drinking going on before, during and after the game with David Beckham’s Inter Miami team the visitors, it will be a good and profitable fit for Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum.
Incidentally in a hard fought game LAFC were victorious with a 1-0 win courtesy of a clever chip by captain and prolific goal scorer Carlos Vela. This result fitted perfectly with a sweepstake from Captain Morgan that offered free trips to the MLS Allstar game in Los Angeles during the summer. If the captain of either team scored then up to 10 lucky winners would qualify. Vela is the captain of LAFC and he scored the only goal of the match on his birthday.
Captain Morgan is the #1 spiced rum in the USA, and their product line is impressive. In addition to Private Stock, Cannon Blast, Loco Nut and Apple Smash, the brand has Pineapple Rum, Coconut Rum and Grapefruit Rum.
Last year Captain Morgan sponsored four MLS teams and they doubled it to eight this year with top clubs that include DC United, New York and the Seattle Sounders, current holders of the MLS Cup.
From a marketing perspective Captain Morgan have really hit a home run with their involvement in the rapidly expanding world of MLS soccer. Before David Beckham arrived in Los Angeles with the Galaxy, the league was in trouble and close to bankruptcy. Now it is the largest league in the world with 26 teams and they will soon be adding four more from Austin, St.Louis, Sacramento and Charlotte. The average price for a franchise is now a whopping $320 million, and that is mainly the legacy of David Beckham. Big European
names are being tempted as we speak to cross the Atlantic, so Captain Morgan’s marketing team have to be given plaudits for being ahead of the pack, certainly where connecting rum with a happening sport.
