The oat drink company Oatly has united with the white rum-based coconut spirit Malibu to redefine the taste of summer. The creation: Piña Oatlada — a Malibu-infused, piña colada flavored, dairy-free soft-serve ice cream.
The latest partnership sees these worlds collide with both brands incorporating illustrious techniques from their respective fields to create a unique summer serve. Bringing its expertly crafted dairy-alternative products to the ice cream realm, Oatly’s soft serve ice cream is not only dairy and soy-free but boasts a smooth texture that rivals its dairy counterpart.
“Put simply, we want to be wherever dairy is. And we want to make it easy for folks to not have to default to cow’s milk,” Martin Ringqvist, Executive Creative Director at Oatly tells Hypebeast. “We’re always searching for new and unexpected ways for people to experience our brand and Malibu is a perfect partner to launch our glorious oats into the nightlife scene – a space and occasion you wouldn’t expect to find an oat drink brand. The unexpected is what Oatly is all about.”
Speaking on how the collaboration came to fruition, Craig Max van Niekerk, VP of Marketing at Malibu explains that it “really took shape when a group of Malibu mixologists visited Oatly’s HQ to experiment with mixing the Malibu and Oatly products together. There were a lot of delicious options, but the Piña Oatlada soft serve was a real stand-out and felt like a fresh and unique way to kick our collaboration off.”
As well as the drink-slash-dessert offering, they have also teamed up to drop an exclusive, limited-edition merchandise collection. Comprised of vintage-inspired acrylic visors, socks, and T-shirts, the dual-branded additions are designed to bring the beach to the bar with the introduction of an edible goblet dressed in sandy hues to serve the Piña Oatlada, alongside a mini-umbrella to complement it.
From the visuals to the color palette used, everything was considered to capture the summer spirit. “We wanted the collaboration to embody those fun, light-alcohol, get-together moments with friends,” says Ringqvist. “Being really deliberate about the colors we used, which are based on the sunset in the Malibu logo, brought to a rainy London from an even rainier Sweden.”
Accompanying the sun-soaked campaign and collaborative drop, Malibu and Oatly are taking over east London with a pop-up residency hosting a selection of immersive activations.
The aptly titled Paradise Arches is a weekly event series running until August 2. Open Thursdays to Sundays, a different act, community, collective, or experience will be headlining the co-hosted residency.
Whether it’s honoring the city’s diverse musical talent with sets from Pxssy Palace, hosting intimate supper clubs, or putting on daytime pilates classes — there’s something for everyone at Paradise Arches. The pop-up promises an escape from reality, as Van-Niekerk explains, “We wanted to create an unforgettable experience with a deliciously surprising treat that would help people unplug and have a good time.”
Taking the collaboration on a European tour, the two brands are set to bring the Piña Oatlada to the northern hemisphere, stopping off at various cities and festivals throughout the summer.
For more information on the Oatly x Malibu partnership, visit the partnership’s dedicated website. The merchandise will also be available exclusively across giveaways on Malibu’s social channels and at select Oatly festival activations.
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