THE SPIRIT OF BACARDI
BACARDÍ® CREATES GRAPHIC NOVEL
THAT BRINGS ITS CUBAN HERITAGE TO LIFE
For more than 150 years, BACARDÍ has been a brand with incredible stories to tell. Since 1862, the Bacardí family has faced earthquakes, fire, revolution, prohibition, and exile, none of which could tame their irrepressible spirit.
The bold attitude of BACARDÍ even extends to the way in which the graphic novel was created. Drops of BACARDÍ Gold rum were added to the inks artist Michael Allred used to illustrate The Spirit of BACARDÍ.
Michael Allred is an American artist and writer. Most recently, Allred has been central in the creation of The Spirit of BACARDÍ – a graphic novel that tells the stories behind BACARDÍ rum and its origins in Cuba. Allred is most famous for his creation, Madman, a superhero that appears in graphic novels published by Image. He has also illustrated numerous characters across Marvel and DC – two of the largest graphic novel publishers. Michael’s work is renowned for its retro 1950’s pop art style and he has been nominated for multiple awards including the Harvey’s, the Eisners and the Eagles. Michael lives near Portland with his wife Laura who frequently works as his colorist.
“Working on this project gave me the chance to bring to life a time and a place I’ve never worked with before – Cuba in the late nineteenth century,” said Allred. “I loved the idea of adding BACARDÍ rum to the ink to make it a real part of the graphic novel’s DNA. It’s something I have never done before and makes the artwork unique.”
Ellis said, “Storytelling requires great characters, and in Emilio Bacardí we have exactly that. Emilio was a patriot, passionate about his homeland of Cuba. My focus was to bring his drive and determination to life.”
Andy Gibson, Chief Marketing Officer of Bacardi, said, “We see The Spirit of BACARDÍ as a fantastic way to tell the stories behind “BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862,” our new global marketing campaign that inspires consumers to pursue their passions no matter what—much like the Bacardí family did—encouraging camaraderie and strength of character.”
”Authenticity is increasingly important to our consumers, especially millennials. While first and foremost we want the graphic novel to be entertaining, we are also saying something important about our brand; that we have the heritage to back up our attitude,” added Gibson.
In 1862, in the city of Santiago de Cuba, founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó revolutionized the spirits industry when he created a light-bodied rum with a particularly smooth taste – BACARDÍ. The unique taste of BACARDÍ rum inspired cocktail pioneers to invent some of the world’s most famous recipes including the BACARDÍ Mojito, the BACARDÍ Daiquirí, the BACARDÍ Cuba Libre, the BACARDÍ Piña Colada and the BACARDÍ Presidente. BACARDÍ rum is the world’s most awarded spirit, with more than 550 awards for quality, taste and innovation. Today, BACARDÍ rum is made in Puerto Rico and Mexico where it is crafted to ensure the taste remains the same today as it did when it was first blended in 1862. www.bacardi.com
The BACARDÍ® brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.
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