The ad is set in a train station and shows a train pulling out of the station while an attendant fills his trolley with bottles of rum, leaving him behind.
Another man asks: "Last train?" and then picks up a bottle of rum and says: "Not so bad." Then a bus appears and a woman in a red dress gets out and says: "Last train?". The man then says: "Not so bad at all."
A party starts on the platform, with people dancing and the trolley attendant mixing rum and Cokes with the man. The campaign was created by McCann Erickson, which no longer works on the Bacardi account.
Although a member of the public complained because the film was shown before a 12A-rated film, this complaint was not upheld.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority challenged the commercial, saying it implied sexual success and encouraged excessive consumption of alcohol.
The advertisers defended the ad, saying that attraction between the two main characters exists before any alcohol is consumed. It also said that the crowd was not boisterous and a station guard was featured to confirm the train could depart safely.
It also argued that, in the ad, only two bottles of Bacardi were poured to share between 60 people and that therefore it could not be considered excessive.
The ASA ruled that the party had started because of the bottles of Bacardi and was concerned that the ad showed that consumption of alcohol was the main reason for the party and its success. It said it was irresponsible in that respect. However, it did not uphold its own questions about the issue of sexual attractiveness or safety issues.
The ASA has asked Bacardi to amend the ad, and advised the company to seek advice in the future.
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