Branded Entertainment in Spain is still in its very early stages. The first steps taken by brands in this area are still mostly hesitant and basic. In the special case of alcoholic beverages, the legislation does not allow any commercial communication on TV or in any other conventional media. So the challenge in this case was to find a new way to integrate interesting content with an alcoholic beverage in compliance with the legal restrictions.

The objective was to present the new Ron Brugal bottle to our consumers in a modern, emotional and

distinctive way in a context in which the legal restrictions on advertising alcohol in the traditional media are very strict.

We decided to link Brugal to one of the things that most moves our consumers in today’s world: electronic music.

We created “The Bottle Music Machine”, a complex musical instrument comprising more than 100 Brugal Rum bottles, with which any consumer can create and interpret electronic music live by interacting directly

with the new bottles. Each bottle was fitted with a different type of sensor: tactile, potentiometers, buttons, infrared, or gyroscopic. By touching, turning, moving or shaking the bottles, an electrical signal was received and decoded by a computer which generated sounds and samplers in real time.

Using “The Bottle Music Machine” we created an integrated campaign to present the new bottle to consumers. In addition to the interactive installation, we produced a series of online documentaries explaining the whole process of the creation of the instrument. Using the bottles, two musicians composed a song that could be listened to and downloaded from Internet. A Facebook application provided access to the

construction blueprints and the list of components to enable you to build your own instrument at home. And a DJ show in which consumers were the public provided live proof of the instrument’s musical possibilities

and showed the new bottles for the first time.

The leading roles in the content went to a modern collective and a studio for artistic creation and research called EspadaySantacruz. They were the creators and builders of the installation. Thanks to their experience and social recognition, we found our way onto hundreds of websites and media specializing in art, design,

music and trends, expressing an interest in the project and which gave rise to a campaign on the social networks.

The process of creating the instrument was communicated as a challenge to tackle. The consumers were able to experience this challenge from the start, like a story with an uncertain ending final. Neither the creators,

nor the consumers knew for certain if The Bottle Music Machine would be a reality. The story was told in real time, causing expectation among consumers about the final result. With a very low budget spent, the idea caused a considerable stir. More than 17,300 references to the project appeared in blogs and websites. The documentary series registered over 400,000 views. And, most importantly, consumers turned Brugal into Spain’s top-selling rum in that period