Smirnoff’s "The Party" Video Series Showcases Accessibility
A video series from Smirnoff, "The Party," embraces inclusiveness and seeks to appeal to 21- to 29-year-old drinkers with fun, lighthearted content.
A video series from Smirnoff, "The Party," embraces inclusiveness and seeks to appeal to 21- to 29-year-old drinkers with fun, lighthearted content.
Smirnoff, which calls itself the world’s best-selling vodka, is celebrating its accessibility in a new global marketing campaign, “Exclusively for Everybody.”
The campaign includes a digital film, The Party, and six 30-second spots that tell “the story of two friends planning and hosting a party while poking fun at the elements that get in the way of honest, effortless good times,” the brand says.
The videos live on Smirnoff’s U.S. YouTube page. They were directed by Anthony and Joe Russo of Arrested Development and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and feature actors Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Kevin Brown, and Ralph Macchio.
As of April 15, the film has 167,000 views. Viewership numbers for the 30-second segments range from about 5,000 to 244,000.
Brand director Dan Kleinman calls this the “first wave of the campaign” and says the brand will “bring fun little elements to freshen up the work” as the seasons go on.
In talking to consumers about “what great times mean, what gets in the way of great times, what’s great about vodka, and what’s not so great about vodka,” Kleinman says Smirnoff learned what’s relevant for consumers 21 to 29 and was able to connect that to Smirnoff.
“We’re conscious of not feeling like an ad,” Kleinman says. “Our North Star is sitcom-like entertainment…we just wanted to bring great talent to bring across our brand point of view with humor, intelligence, and a bit of fun.”
The campaign will be pushed out by broadcast, out of home, and digital elements, as well as a national partnership with digital music service Spotify, in which the brand is asking consumers to submit their “must-have house party track” on the Spotify website for the chance to win “epic house parties thrown in their hometown.”
The promotion will also include “display advertising, video viewing, paid social, and the like and fun executions out there on popular sites with 21- to 29-year-olds,” Kleinman says.
According to Paul Bremer, chief revenue officer of premium mobile video provider Rhythm NewMedia, the characters and content in this branded series succeed in creating an alternate way to present Smirnoff as a fun, lighthearted brand.
“I like the short chapter format that allows viewers to engage independently, sequentially, or as one longer-form piece,” Bremer comments. “Video series like this provide a real-time consumer feedback loop or focus group and work well.”
In addition, Bremer says marketers will continue to find unique ways to present their products like this as the industry enters the “golden age of branded content creation and video storytelling.”
Smirnoff is a Diageo brand.
“Exclusively for Everybody” was created by design and advertising company 72andSunny.