Brief:

• Diageo rum brand Captain Morgan teamed up with ride-hailing company Lyft to provide up to $20,000 in free rides to fans attending Final Four games in Minneapolis this weekend, the companies announced.
• Lyft users 21 and older can use the code "CAPTAINGAMEDAY" from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. local time every day from Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7. Lyft will provide a $20 credit toward a safe ride in the downtown Minneapolis area.
• "With Lyft as our exclusive ride-share partner, we are making it easy to enjoy a fun-filled weekend in Minneapolis responsibly," Linda Bethea, VP of Captain Morgan, said in the statement.

Insight:

Captain Morgan and Lyft appear to make ideal partners in preventing accidents from drunken driving as college basketball fans gather in Minneapolis for the final games of the NCAA college men's basketball tournament. U.S. Bank Stadium, where the Minnesota Vikings play football, can fit more than 72,000 fans for each game of the Final Four, according to NCAA estimates. Record-setting attendance will mean more traffic and a higher risk of accidents. The emphasis on personal safety could help to generate good will and positive brand associations with Captain Morgan and Lyft among game attendees.

Liquor brands that want to reach young adults must be careful about consumer safety and avoiding underage audiences. Diageo, which owns Captain Morgan, last year suspended all Snapchat advertising after the U.K.'s advertising watchdog said the company failed to ensure that one of its Captain Morgan rum campaigns wasn't seen by individuals under 18, the U.K.'s legal drinking age.

Captain Morgan has been active with campaigns on mobile platforms and social media over the past few years. The brand ran a contest on Instagram that awarded one winner with a "Captain's Night In" house party during the holidays, and tapped comedian-actor Adam Devine as pitchman. Captain Morgan also launched a campaign on Facebook and Spotify targeting 18- to 24-year-olds that featured a responsible drinking message.

For its part, Lyft has worked on brand partnerships and launched a rewards program, but saw its stock fall below its IPO price on Tuesday.