Smirnoff Ice® is taking a bold, new direction for its latest burst of advertising – a £8.5m nationwide TV and poster campaign entitled ‘Lyriquid Perfection’ that will be the talk of the trade in the coming months.
"We wanted to take a completely new direction from the successful ‘As Clear As Your Conscience’ campaign," says Philip Gladman, Marketing Director for Smirnoff at Diageo Great Britain, "the aim is to reinforce Smirnoff Ice’s® position as the leading RTD brand, by producing advertising that really connects with our target male 18-24 year old audience."
‘Lyriquid Perfection’ – a play on the words Lyrical Perfection and Liquid Perfection – brings to life the they way 18-24 year-old lads' gain kudos from telling each other stories of their nights out, using their own unique language.
"So there I was, dipped in fashion butter, feeling Pacha-nate, wanting to romantify. The place was full of hollidollies. Locked onto one very special starecase. So I went up and turned on my universal banguage … Lyriquid Perfection’
Language is the key element here and the new ads use streetwise, edgy catchphrases and descriptions to tell the tale of what happened on a night out. The posters illustrate vividly their observations from spotting a gorgeous woman [starecase] across the dancefloor, trying unsuccessfully to talk to women [getting the look of shove], standing in the queue at the late-night garage [octane oasis] being served by a useless attendant [Jonny No-stars].
"The look and feel gives the new ad campaign immediate cut-through,” says Gladman “and underlines once again how Smirnoff Ice® intends to lead the way and inject some excitement into the category.
"With the RTD sector becoming more established in the trade, it is essential that retailers recognise the ability of Smirnoff Ice®, as the market leader to deliver even more sales and profits for them.
"Plus this is a really great time to get behind the brand because we’re spending over £8.5 million on this campaign, not only to drive sales of Smirnoff Ice but boost the RTD category as a whole.
The Lyriquid perfection campaign begins with the outdoor campaign on September 1, followed by the first new TV ad on September 5.
The outdoor campaign will run throughout September and consists of:
- Large banners (32m x 13m) in key target locations in Manchester, Newcastle, London, Leeds and Glasgow
- 550 48-sheet posters (large roadside locations) in the North West, North East, and Yorkshire
- 100 48-sheet posters in the London Underground
- 500 Day/Night 6-sheet posters (bus stop posters) within 250m of bars in London
- 1000 Male washroom posters in selected bars & clubs nationwide
- 90,000 Club Packs ("Don't Panic Packs" and "Swell Music Posters") to be distributed to consumers in various nightclubs and bars nationwide
-ends-
Diageo Great Britain is the mainland UK sales and marketing company of Diageo plc, the world’s leading premium drinks business. Our priority brands include, Smirnoff, GUINNESS, Gordon’s, Bell’s and Baileys – all of which hold the No.1 position within their respective categories.
Innovation has been pivotal to Diageo Great Britain’s growth. Smirnoff Ice is the No.1 RTD in Great Britain and additional innovations include Smirnoff Black Ice, Archers Aqua and most recently Baileys Minis which has sold one million cases since bring introduced in 2002. Our innovations and brands continue to answer consumers’ quests for new tastes and formats.
Diageo GB is a member of the Portman Group, promoting sensible drinking.