Maybe you’ve seen the billboards: A South Beach gym bunny-type — you know, a well-defined, bare-chested blond stud — stands with a tray of drinks in an ad for Cabana Boy flavored rums.
One reads: “They’re new in town. And they’re ready to party.”
Seems obvious that this was an ad campaign conceived to appeal to gays.
In fact, Maine-based White Rock Distilleries designed the product for women ages 21 to 35, the coveted demographic for the flavored rum market. An all-women marketing company created the Cabana Boy fantasy: What woman wouldn’t want to be served cocktails by a scantily clad man?
But a funny thing happened during the rollout. The fantasy turned out to be just as appealing to gay men. Each of the six bottles features a different dreamy cabana boy.
“It’s been a pleasant surprise,” says Jane O’Halloran, marketing manager for Swardlick Marketing Group in Portland. “We have no complaints at all. A lot of the same things that appeal to young women are going to appeal to gay men. You want to look at a nice looking guy.”
Florida is the country’s largest rum market and South Florida is home to one of the largest gay communities in the country. Put the two together and you’ll see why a Cabana Boy look-alike promotion was staged recently at the Coliseum, a gay club in Fort Lauderdale. On the company’s Web site — .com — you’ll find three Cabana Boys in bathing suits. Visitors can dress them in leather caps, cowboy regalia, even Roman gladiator garb.
The initial Cabana Boy campaign, which started in March, featured more than 2,000 billboards across the state. Look for another round of ads in the near future.
Cuts for a cause
All 65 Hair Cuttery salons in South Florida are taking part in the third annual Share-A-Haircut. If you’re 18 or younger and get your hair cut Aug. 1 through 15, Hair Cuttery will donate a free haircut to children from the Florida Department of Children and Families. Statewide, the goal is 10,500 free cuts.
Positive results
Andrea Senesi’s dad died of emphysema six years ago. John Underhill was 72 and a smoker. His family had nagged him to quit, but he just couldn’t shake the habit.
“Everyone who smokes knows how bad it is for them,” says Senesi, of Fort Lauderdale. “But if people realized what they were doing to their loved ones, I think they might quit.”
To that end, Senesi has created a line of greeting cards designed to motivate and encourage a loved one to stop smoking. An amateur photographer, Senesi took the pictures and wrote the messages.
“If I had to live without you, the world would be a cold, dreary place for me. Please stop smoking,” reads one card featuring a winter scene. “If nagging doesn’t work, maybe love will,” says Senesi.
A set of 12 cards costs $15.95. Order them online at or call 888-557-0611.
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