Havana Club and Burna Boy, king of Afro-fusion, in new collaboration

Havana Club is back with another creative collaboration, which this year sees the world acclaimed Burna Boy – known as the African Giant – share his heritage with the world through a limited-edition Havana Club 7 Years bottle. Celebrating the beauty of culture, the strength of community values and joy of celebrating his roots, the rich and vibrant bottle is available exclusively to the convenience channel throughout July before a full rollout into grocery, and will see 72,000 bottles produced as part of a multi-touchpoint campaign.

Inspired by cultural headgear of Southern Nigeria, the exclusive bottle label features illustrated tassels along its top edge. The rest of the label features an ‘Aso Oke’ background, a handwoven textile worn for special occasions in Nigeria such as naming ceremonies and weddings. Palm leaves crown the logo as a nod to the African Union Emblem, whilst the bottom part of the label showcases the Rivers State region of Nigeria, where Burna was born. Each limited-edition bottle also carries a print of Burna Boy’s signature.

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Alongside the release of the limited-edition Havana Club 7 Years bottle, Burna Boy and Havana Club have also released a campaign film celebrating their intimately interwoven story. The hero movie – around conviviality, tribe and bonding values – shows the interconnection between Lagos and London lives via the limited-edition bottle, which acts as the true connector between each scene. Featuring a voice over by Burna Boy himself, the film builds the bridge between the two countries, keeping a high level of energy and bringing together the common culture and shared values between people in the good times they spend together. View the video here.

“We’re incredibly excited to reveal our latest collaboration with the King of Afro-fusion, Burna Boy, and continue the message of community championed during our previous partnership with Skepta,"said Marnie Corrigan, Brand Director at Pernod Ricard UK. Convenience stores will once again debut this limited-edition bottle, serving local residents first and recognising the integral role local businesses have within the community. Our previous collaboration helped recruit a younger adult audience, and we’re confident this campaign will further accelerate brand growth and cement Havana Club 7 Years as a street culture icon amongst Generation Z.”

The launch is being supported by a fully integrated campaign including Out-Of-Home and digital above-the-line media to drive footfall into store. Havana Club has also developed a range of POS materials to disrupt the shopper journey and drive rate of sale. Rum is performing ahead of the total spirits category, and Havana Club is experiencing double-digit value growth in the Off-Trade. Havana Club 7 is growing 29 per cent in impulse stores year-on-year, and the brand has a 10 per cent share of the golden rum category in the impulse channel.

The limited-edition bottle is exclusively available to convenience stores across the UK throughout July, before rolling out nationwide at an RRP of £26.99. It is available at major wholesalers including Parfetts, Bestway and Dhamecha.