Dive Brief:

• Captain Morgan is launching a campaign on Facebook and Spotify targeting 18- to 24-year-olds, according to Digiday. It's the rum brand’s first since parent company Diageo suspended all of its Snapchat ads earlier this year after a U.K. ad watchdog said the company didn't prevent promotions from reaching underage users and also paused YouTube advertising over brand safety concerns. 
• The new #LiveLikeACaptain campaign features a partnership with U.K. grime artist Lady Lehsurr and a responsible drinking message. The Spotify piece of the promotion features a new track from Lehsurr and use of Sponsored Sessions and video takeovers. While Diageo isn't paying to place the ads on YouTube or Snapchat, viewers can see them on YouTube because they are versions of longer Lady Leshurr music videos. The brand is also running super-short videos, some just two seconds in length. 
• Captain Morgan expects to reach 4.3 million consumers in the U.K. and Ireland with the effort over the next quarter, per Digiday. The brand is also examining how social media posts drive consumers to supermarket sites, redeem vouchers in pubs and interact with its recently launched chatbot version of the Captain Morgan mascot. 

Dive Insight:

Captain Morgan is trying to rebound after having to reconsider its strategy with Snapchat and YouTube — both viewed as key platforms for reaching younger age segments like millennials and Gen Z. The latest push tries to tap into that audience via different means, including a tie-up with an emerging hip-hop artist, use of a messenger chatbot and also the type of extra-short video spots that accommodate shorter attention spans and mobile viewing. 

By partnering with Lady Leshurr, Captain Morgan might also be making a play at female consumers, a growing segment of alcohol drinkers that is often overlooked by brands. Diageo partnered with Spotify in a similar way for a recent campaign around its Smirnoff vodka brand. The company launched the Smirnoff Equalizer, an API aimed at promoting female musicians by giving listeners a tailored playlist with genders represented equally. The campaign is an extension of the brand’s "Equalizing Music" initiative to double the number of female music festival headliners by 2020. 

Companywide, Diageo also recently pledged to "Free the Bid," an initiative that calls on agencies and content producers to include at least one female director in their creative bidding process.