Bacardi rum unveils new graphic novel

Bacardi has released a graphic novel as part of its new global campaign which communicates the heritage of the rum brand.

Bacardi has released a graphic novel as part of its Untameable Since 1862 global campaign

The Spirit of Bacardi graphic novel, which has been created through a collaboration between writer Warren Ellis and artist Michael Allred, tells the story of the Bacardi family and the brand’s origins in Cuba.

It forms part of the global Bacardi Untameable Since 1862 campaign, which launched last November featuring a voiceover from Harry Potter actor Jason Isaacs.

The new graphic novel focuses on the story of Emilio Bacardi – son of founder Don Facundo Bacardi Massó – and his battle for Cuban independence in the late 1800s.

It also touches on other challenges faced by the Bacardi family, such as earthquakes and a fire which ravaged their distillery, before ending with the creation of the original Cuba Libra cocktail in 1900.

The brand claims that drops of Bacardi Gold Rum were added to the ink used to illustrate the novel.

“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 Bacardi 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.”

The graphic novel is available to download from the Bacardi website.