Old Jamaica, the UK’s favorite ginger beer, is preparing to say goodbye.
The “Farewell Old Jamaica” campaign, spearheaded by SAMY Alliance, is a bold and irreverent initiative that aims to be the world’s first public “retirement of a brand.” This campaign seeks to celebrate the 34-year-old iconic ginger beer and its legacy as it prepares to bid adieu in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.
Despite the campaign’s recent launch on social media, fans are already expressing their heartbreak. One Instagram user lamented, “Is this for real? With everything happening in the world, now this. How will we survive?”
This multi-faceted campaign is designed with many unpredictable twists and turns, allowing for flexibility in response to consumer reactions and global events. It is conceived as a social-first initiative, featuring key videos to kick off the narrative, complemented by a blend of social media, digital marketing, and out-of-home advertising, alongside surprising creative stunts that will provide a grand finale for the brand!
The campaign begins with a hilariously grand farewell speech from an Old Jamaica shelf-stacker, shared on the brand’s social media channels. In the announcement, “Tom” humorously critiques the overly emotional violin music, checks his script, and experiences a crisis of confidence when reflecting on his lack of career progression after 25 years on the factory floor—setting a playful tone for the rest of this alternative farewell campaign.
Out-of-home teaser activations will also appear on buses featuring the phrase “FAREWELL OLD JAMAICA.”
The brand will embark on an extensive farewell tour, showcased through a social media content series featuring fun videos of the iconic Old Jamaica can making appearances at concerts, football matches, convenience stores, and bars—perfect for those who may have missed the festivities.
The celebrations don’t end there, as more surprises are planned for the brand’s big goodbye.
Old Jamaica will also undertake a guerrilla farewell, fulfilling a bucket list that includes the ginger beer in unconventional scenarios.
As the beloved ginger beer prepares to say its final farewell, fans will be directed to a website featuring a real-time counter displaying the number of Old Jamaica cans left on the market—marking the brand’s end.
SAMY Alliance’s CCO for the Americas and campaign lead, Hernán Cerdeiro, remarked: “How do you say goodbye to the country’s favorite ginger beer? By giving it the ultimate send-off. The opportunity to ‘retire a brand’ was something we embraced, as it appears to have never been done so publicly before.
“We wanted to give Old Jamaica’s loyal customers one last chance to say goodbye, take that final sip, and watch the can ride off into the sunset. Being entrusted with such a unique opportunity by a brand that believed in us allowed for great creativity in the campaign.
“This project showcased true collaboration within SAMY Alliance, leveraging our global capabilities—from creativity to media, influencers, data, community management, and production. The complete buy-in from our fantastic client made this ambitious idea possible.”
Alfonso Haces, Senior Global Marketing Head at Beliv Company (the parent company of Old Jamaica), noted: “For 34 years, Old Jamaica has been more than just a drink; it’s been a vibrant part of our lives, infusing the bold spirit of Jamaica into every sip around the world. As we say farewell, we’re not whispering goodbye in silence—we’re shouting it from the rooftops with the world’s first farewell campaign for a brand.”
Santiago Lucero, Global Creative Director at SAMY Alliance, added: “This is the kind of project that SAMY Alliance champions—true collaboration across countries, disciplines, and roles. Clients and agencies act as partners, generating innovative ideas that transcend channels and platforms while staying true to the campaign’s concept. When a story can be told through any medium or channel, it becomes truly platform agnostic, and that’s how it should be.”
