Smirnoff, a leading white spirits brand, faced a significant challenge in Thailand, where drinking occasions are heavily associated with food - popular drinks like Soju are almost exclusively consumed during meals. To grow, Smirnoff needed to break out of the dining occasion and expand into the wider, more vibrant world of in-home consumption.

However, changing deeply ingrained drinking traditions posed an immense marketing challenge, especially in a dark market where traditional advertising was heavily restricted. Smirnoff had to find a way to dramatically shift perceptions and consumption habits without relying on conventional marketing tactics.

The objective was clear: to shift the deeply ingrained associations of white spirits with dining culture and expand consumption occasions to wider in-home occasions. This required a strategic approach that would connect with the target audience on a cultural level, whilst respecting the regulation of the Thai market.

Thailand's Young Adults (LPA+) crave a sense of belonging and desire to be part of something bigger, to be at the center of the action. This insight was grounded in psychological theories and studies that highlight the importance of social connection.

For Smirnoff to successfully reposition white spirits into new consumption occasions, it needed to be seen as central to a cultural movement - that the next generation would want to feel part of.

To achieve this, in a dark market where traditional advertising was heavily restricted, Smirnoff did something unusual.

It got into the music business.

With an approach that would have cultural resonance with this hyper-social media generation.

Creating a music video, led by famous Thai celebrity-creators, that ripped through culture, propelling Smirnoff products into a brand-new consumption category and driving transformational growth for the brand.

To address the challenge of shifting consumption habits in a dark market, Smirnoff leveraged Smirnoff House as an entertainment platform bringing together three of Thailand's most influential celebrities as, in effect, executive creative directors.

This collaboration had a single-minded brief: creating a cultural movement which breaks the consumption association to dining - with Smirnoff the center.

We created content to resonate with Thailand's Young Adults (LPA+). By collaborating with influential figures from music, entertainment, and social media, Smirnoff tapped into their combined reach to amplify the campaign's message.

The centerpiece of the strategy was a music video that showcased Smirnoff as an integral part of the in-home party experience, with subtle product cues and visuals that hinted at the brand's new flavors. Amplified by over 200 selected ‘nano-influencers’, Smirnoff aimed to create a campaign that would run through popular culture and drive a lasting shift in consumption habits.

Smirnoff's campaign execution in six steps were:

1. Leveraging an entertainment platform (Smirnoff House) to bring together celebrity creators to develop an entertainment experience.

2 . Contract the celebrity creators to write, produce and feature in their creation - a music video that showcased Smirnoff as part of the in-home experience.

3. Integrating subtle product cues and visual elements - with these cues replicated in the off-trade.

4. Optimizing the content for social media by creating short-form films that were perfect for the target audience, and utilizing Facebook and YouTube as the main channels for promoting the videos and expanding reach.

5. Releasing parody music videos featuring the celebrities on social community fan pages and through macro influencers. Encouraging wider participation for inclusion.

6. Sustaining momentum by extending the campaign to include 200 nano-influencers who released parody dance memes for rolling weeks after the campaign.

Smirnoff's campaign impact was evident across multiple metrics:

Social mentions increased by over 250%, demonstrating the campaign's ability to generate buzz and engagement (Sprinklr)

An unprecedented 88.2% surge in searches was observed during the campaign period, compared to the equivalent pre-campaign period, indicating a significant increase in brand interest and consideration (Google)

Smirnoff's total spontaneous awareness, previously fixed at 5%, nearly doubled to 9% throughout the campaign, showcasing the effectiveness of the strategy in driving brand recognition (Kantar)

Rate of sale of the current variant during the campaign period improved by 22%, while distribution also increased by 27% compared to the three months before launch, highlighting the campaign's impact on business performance (Diageo)