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Smirnoff Ice leans on nostalgia with first-ever global campaign
To mark 25 years since its launch, the brand is launching its first-ever global campaign leaning on nostalgia and humour.
Nicola Kemp
Editorial Director CreativebriefTo mark a quarter of a century since its launch, Smirnoff Ice is launching its first-ever global campaign, which leans on humour and nostalgia.
Developed in partnership with McCann New York, with PR support from Smarts, the campaign playfully pokes fun at the brand. With straplines such as: ‘Proudly not served at the finest establishments’ and ‘We’re called Ice but we’re a liquid. We don’t get it either.’
The global campaign will run across more than 20 countries worldwide. It will also be supported by a range of birthday marketing activations leaning on nostalgia. As well as a new brand world, which has been designed to supercharge a new era for the product.
The campaign has already begun its rollout in Brazil, where festivals and partnerships are supercharging the campaign.
When we looked back at 25 years of Smirnoff Ice, one thing was clear: its refreshingly self-aware, playful tone has always set it apart.
Britt Nolan, Chief Creative Officer at McCann World Group North America
In Ireland, the brand hosted a launch event that enabled drinkers to access through a secret vending machine acting as a doorway. The rollout will also run across Great Britain, Canada, Colombia, Northern Europe, South Africa and the US, and will be live by the end of 2025.
The brand strategy for the campaign ties into Diageo’s push towards more ‘glocal’ marketing across the Smirnoff portfolio. It follows the launch of the ‘We Do We’ in 2023, which was the first global brand campaign for Smirnoff in over a decade.
Stephanie Jacoby, Senior Vice President of Global Vodkas at Diageo, explains: ‘I’m thrilled to be shaping the next chapter for Smirnoff Ice and bringing it to the global stage at a moment which feels timelier than ever, as consumers look for iconic drinks in convenient formats which are perfect for on-the-go occasions like festivals and picnics with friends. Smirnoff Ice has been a leader in the category since before we were even saying ‘RTD’ and I can’t wait to shine a light on this iconic player in our portfolio at global scale.
Britt Nolan, Chief Creative Officer at McCann World Group North America, added: ‘When we looked back at 25 years of Smirnoff Ice, one thing was clear: its refreshingly self-aware, playful tone has always set it apart. We wanted to find an idea that honoured the essence of the brand while moving it forward. And that’s when we made a mind-blowing discovery: Smirnoff Ice isn’t actually ice at all; it’s a liquid. This absurd contradiction hiding in plain sight became the voice of our campaign’.
Five marketing trends from 25 years of Smirnoff Ice
BITE distils what marketing leaders can learn from Smirnoff Ice’s new global campaign.
1. A ‘Glocal’ approach can provide brand consistency to supercharge growth
While the pendulum swing between global and local marketing continues in cycles, Smirnoff’s return to building ‘Glocal’ messages underlines not just the efficiency but the creative consistency of such an approach. As AI tools continue to make global brand guidelines more adaptable, expect this shift to continue.
The campaign also doubles down on Smirnoff’s global approach to continue ramping up digital and social content, working in partnership with Born Social to continually push the brand’s owned platforms to the next level over the last 12-18 months. New campaign social highlights include a Snapchat filter and a suite of Instagram content.
2. The rise and rise of RTD
The global boom in the Ready To Drink (RTD) category of drinks is going nowhere. RTD has been the fastest-growing Total Beverage Alcohol subcategory over the past three years and is projected to maintain that lead over the next three. Sold in over 140 countries, Smirnoff Ice is the RTD with the largest global footprint.
3. Embracing imperfection
The playful self-depreciating approach at the heart of this campaign underlines the power of seeing your perceived brand flaws as a positive. Perfection is overrated as a marketing tool.
According to Smirnoff’s campaign research, there is a growing consumer pushback against overly polished perfection, with audiences craving authenticity and relatability. This shift aligns naturally with the history of playful and irreverent campaigns behind Smirnoff Ice. In recent global focus groups, Smirnoff Ice was described as a ‘don’t-take-yourselves-too-seriously kind of drink’ synonymous with unpretentious fun. In an era in which brands can easily inadvertently add to consumer pressure, it is a powerful insight
4. Impulse in a can
The campaign’s global roll-out includes a fresh new packaging design, which sees the brand move from bottle to a can format. A move Diageo believes is a ‘take the shelf-back approach’ that it views as critical for the convenience category, where a significant number of RTD purchases are impulse buys made in store.
5. Meme culture is meaningful in marketing
The campaign team leaned on 25 years of marketing memories from the Diageo archive. A process which made it clear how the product’s witty tone has been established over time. With straplines such as: ‘I love you* *Terms & Conditions apply’ and ‘I got you the perfect present* *I got me the perfect present’ from over two decades ago, that still feel instantly recognisable.
To create a campaign that resonates globally, Diageo supercharged this identifiable voice with fresh insights into internet culture, showing that 67% of Gen Z prefer comedy and memes. The resulting creative executions are designed to both capture the attention of today’s consumer whilst staying true and authentic to the brand.
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