Bacardi goes for a more macho image

If you're looking for gorgeous, bikini-clad women walking along endless sandy beaches, don't watch the latest advertisement for Bacardi.

In fact, there are no women at all in the latest, £7million campaign which is an attempt to shift the brand away from its "girly" image and to target 18 to 24-year-old men.

Sunshine, overt branding and product shots have also been written out of the script, which features two Cuban boxers preparing for a fight. The strapline is "From the heart and soul came the spirit".

The only reference to Bacardi comes in the final shot, where the camera shifts to the floor of the boxing ring, which is decorated with the Bacardi bat

Bacardi aims to reach the level of respect among 18 to 24-year-old men currently enjoyed by Smirnoff and Jack Daniel's.

Both brands score more positive responses to the question "Would you feel comfortable ordering this at the bar?"

Bacardi is relying on its disputed Cuban heritage to repair this situation. Young men respect Jack Daniel's for its Tennessee background and Smirnoff for its Russian history.

In fact, Jack Daniel's is the only one of the three brands still made in its country of origin.

Brand owners admit the shift is sudden and dramatic."We need to make this move if we are to build effectively on the success the brand has built for itself so far," said marketing manager Marie Ridgley.

Asked if the campaign ran the risk of alienating women, she said: "Women aspire to drink what men drink."

Television advertising will be backed by a six-sheet poster campaign.

Once again, the Bacardi bottle does not appear, designers opting instead for the Bat logo.

"We want the bat symbol to be as successful as Nike or Levi's. We want people to want to wear it," said Ridgley.

There will also be an extensive sampling tour of Britain's pubs by the La Fiesta Hit Squads.