“I hope my fans enjoy this unique chance to play against me,” said Nadal. “Drinking responsibly is a serious message and I believe we will reach and influence more people with this important message by expressing it in a more light-hearted and interactive way. ‘Knowing where the line is’ is vital in tennis and in life. I have faced some incredible serves on the tennis tour, but the RoboServ is a tough competitor and in the right hands it is going to be difficult to beat. I look forward to meeting some of the best Bacardi-created champions face-to-face in Mallorca.”

UAE. Bacardi Global Travel Retail and Dubai Duty Free are to launch the brand owner’s ‘Champions Drink Responsibly’ social responsibility campaign in travel retail this month using a virtual reality video game – with an opportunity to meet tennis star Rafael Nadal the big prize. The campaign will run at Dubai Duty Free from 15 February to 3 March.

Bacardi Limited, which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary, is showcasing its ‘Champions Drink Responsibly’ drive for the first time in this channel with the launch of the game. It features Nadal, who is Bacardi’s Global Social Responsibility Ambassador.

The campaign’s launch coincides with the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (20 February to 3 March).

Legal drinking age travelers and tennis fans will be challenged to play the video game, called ‘Ace Rafa’, created by Bacardi Limited. Fans who successfully ‘ace’ the ten-time Grand Slam winner in the game will go into a free prize draw to win an opportunity to meet Nadal in Mallorca, Spain.

In the game, travellers face the player using the RoboServ – a 12-foot tall tennis-serving robot. A replica of the RoboServ will form the centrepiece to the surrounding computer displays on which the game is played in the airport.

Unlike most console and online games, said Bacardi, ‘Ace Rafa’ features the player, using imagery shot in his hometown of Manacor in Mallorca – rather than a computer-generated version. The game is brought to life as Nadal reacts to each serve as though he was playing an actual game of tennis.

The social responsibility campaign highlights the message that “Everyone knows where the line is” when it comes to drinking responsibly. The latest campaign was launched by Rafa Nadal in 2011.


Bacardi Global Travel Retail Marketing Director Vinay Golikeri said: “Bacardi has a long history of pioneering social responsibility initiatives and in “Champions Drink Responsibly” we have a campaign that connects with today’s consumers in a dynamic and engaging way to reinforce the important message of responsible drinking.”

Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin said: “We know from experience that Bacardi Global Travel Retail delivers great initiatives aimed at driving footfall. With ‘Ace Rafa’ Bacardi has an innovative campaign that we know will engage consumers and at the same time communicate a strong social responsibility message.”

The ‘Champions Drink Responsibly’ campaign was first introduced by Bacardi Limited in April 2008 and featured seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher with the message “Drinking and Driving Don’t Mix.”