Dive Brief:

• Smirnoff Ice unveiled its first global campaign on June 10, according to information shared with Marketing Dive. To mark the 25th anniversary of the Diageo brand, it is adopting a localized approach and boosting its social media strategy.
• The campaign was created in partnership with McCann New York and will reach more than 20 countries. Its roll out is already underway in Brazil and Ireland, with other markets to follow throughout the year. Elements include nostalgia-driven assets, online video, in-store experiences and out-of-home (OOH) activations.
• The effort also shows off the brand’s move from bottles to cans and a fresh packing design. The switch to cans reflects the growing importance of the convenience-store market to Smirnoff Ice.

Dive Insight:

Humor is at the center of the global push from Smirnoff Ice, a malt ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage from Smirnoff. With slogans such as, “We’re called Ice but we’re a liquid. We don’t get it either” and “Proudly not served at the finest establishments,” the campaign embraces internet and meme culture to keep the drink relevant to younger consumers. The approach is reflective of campaign research which found consumers are pushing back against overly polished advertising.

The gradual, local-focused roll out is intended to help the brand tailor the campaign to fit individual markets, a tactic employed across the Smirnoff trademark since 2023. While the details may change between markets, the messaging remains consistent: Smirnoff Ice is a fun, cool RTD cocktail. As part of the initiative, the brand is working with Born Social to elevate its social media platforms over the next 12-18 months. Campaign-specific social media elements include Instagram content and a Snapchat filter.

A 30-second campaign spot shows a store employee struggling to figure out where to shelve Smirnoff Ice. Before he has the chance to, consumers walk by and take it off his hands. Switching to cans from bottles is intended to help the product make inroads in convenience stores, a growing channel for RTD sales and impulse purchases. 

While hard seltzers have seen a decline in the U.S., the RTD category has continued to gain share in the total alcoholic beverage market. Smirnoff Ice, which is available in over 140 countries, has the largest global footprint of any RTD beverage, according to press materials.

Diageo reported net sales of $10.9 billion for the first half of fiscal year 2025, a 0.6% decline largely attributed to “unfavorable foreign exchange.” The company saw a 0.2% sales growth in North America, a 5% growth in Latin America and an 8.9% growth in Africa. However, Diageo saw a 2.6% decline in sales in the Asia Pacific.