‘Lick Responsibly’: Oatly Joins Forces with Malibu to Create Alcoholic Piña Oatlada Ice Cream

Swedish oat milk maker Oatly has partnered with cult-favourite coconut rum brand Malibu – not to create a cocktail, but a soft-serve instead.

When was the last time you dreamt of putting oat milk in your coconut rum to make some ice cream?

If your answer is never, that’s exactly the point of the link-up between the world’s largest oat milk company and the brand synonymous with coconut rum.

“The collab no one actually asked for” appears in large, bold lettering on Oatly’s website, announcing a series of music, wellness, entertainment and lifestyle pop-ups to accompany the Piña Oatlada, a dairy-free soft serve featuring its oat milk and Malibu rum.

Hosted in London’s Shoreditch district, the pop-up series will be held at a clubhouse dubbed the Paradise Arches, running from July 12 to August 2. The vegan ice cream will simultaneously also be available at music festivals in the UK, Sweden, Germany, Finland and the Netherlands, with the latest date being September 8.

“If you think adulting is hard, try getting a soft serve campaign approved by two sets of lawyers,” said Martin Ringqvist, executive creative director at Oatly. “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.”

Playing to adulthood stresses and escapist mindsets

While Oatly may insist that nobody asked for this, it actually carried out rigorous research alongside Malibu to determine exactly why people would want it. The brands say the collaboration is for “drinking-age consumers struggling to navigate the pressures of adulthood”, with a 2,000-person survey showing 45% are struggling to cope with responsibilities, and 53% want more time to escape them.

“Adulting can be draining and there’s no manual or guide of how to get through it. Our study has shown how the most basic tasks are the ones we crave to escape from the most,” said Craig van Niekerk, VP of marketing at Malibu.

Even when on holiday, 19% of respondents said they struggle to switch off completely, and 26% would love an evening of indulgence all to themselves. Additionally, 23% favoured the idea of an hour-long vacation to completely free themselves of responsibility.

Another poll in Germany suggested that 80% of adults consider their lives to be stressful, and a third suffer from constant stress.

“It seems like we’re all in serious need of bringing out the spirit of summer and enabling good times. Just an hour away from responsibilities can help you to unplug and enjoy the summer, which is why we’ve made the perfect place to escape to,” said van Niekerk.

The vegan soft-serve – which contains only 1.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) – comes as Gen Zers spearhead the low- and no-ABV movement. In the UK, 44% of people aged 18-24 regularly drink alcohol alternatives, and 39% don’t drink at all. This cohort is also “driving the demand for plant-based alternatives and are up for experimenting with new flavours”, suggest Oatly and Malibu.

To create the ice cream, Oatly’s innovation team conducted functionality and sensory tests combining Malibu with its existing soft-serve mix, with the aim of creating a creamy soft-serve profile. At the Paradise Arches pop-ups, it will be served in a cocktail-glass-shaped waffle cone and garnished with pineapple sauce and coconut flakes. Select activations will also carry a non-alcoholic version.

Malibu ice cream latest in a series of collaborations for Oatly

At the Paradise Arches, the daytime events include pilates classes, workout sessions and a hip-hop brunch, while the evening activations include comedy nights, dance parties, cabaret shows and a drag bingo, and cost between £6-£38.75 (though most cost £9.05).

The Piña Oatlada will also be available at pubs, bars and social spots like Dabbers, Mrs Riot (both in London), Pong & Puck (Manchester) and The Three Sisters (Edinburgh).

Oatly and Malibu have also teamed up with a host of music festivals and venues for the ice cream, such as All Points East and Forwards in the UK; Berlin Pride, Dockville and Superbloom in Germany; Trädgården and Way Out West in Sweden; Netl de Wildeste Tuin and Wilderburg in the Netherlands; and Siltanen x Onda in Finland.

This isn’t the first time Oatly has dabbled with alcohol – earlier this year, it launched a limited-edition stout with the Brussels Beer Project to promote its new organic barista oat milk in Belgium.

These partnerships come amid a host of new product rollouts from Oatly, including a 1.5-litre of its barista milk, a 25ml Jigger for travel, a revamped yoghurt lineup in parts of Europe, and Super Basic and Unsweetened milks in the US. This year, it will also unveil a barista edition specifically for light-roasted coffee.

The company has been through a topsy-turvy period, but its first-quarter performance this year exceeded analysts’ expectations, with losses narrowing by 39% and gross profit up by 58% from Q1 2023.

To reach more demographics, it has been establishing a host of partnerships globally, including with gyms, fitness centres, EF Pro Cycling and Minor League Baseball in the US, Swedish rail company SBB, and global cruiseliner Virgin Voyages. Starbucks is also reportedly set to introduce a non-dairy whipping cream made by Oatly for its summer menu in the US.