Why Smirnoff Celebrated the Power of Music with an Original EP
Music is a remarkable thing. Sometimes it’s the hero - you sing along, bop out, and enjoy every single second of the song, and the moments it underscores. Other times it’s the backing track - not the focus, but a tool which elevates the show you watch, the party you attend, or just a memorable moment in general. However, in either case, music holds an immense power, as it’s something everyone can experience together, and derive an emotional reaction from.
And, this is something that’s true the world over. All cultures have music. Sure, everything from instrumentation and harmonisation to the way it’s interpreted might vary, but again, it’s a unifying force. Everyone understands it to a certain extent.
Forces like these are especially powerful in a country like Canada, which happens to be one of the most diverse in the world. However, they’re also critical, especially given the fact that in recent years, social connections are crumbling. The pandemic is probably, in large part, owed a good portion of the blame, but according to research by VML, since 2020, there’s been a 40% increase in Canadians observing that the country is ‘diverse but not inclusive’, which really isn’t a great look.
To this end, Smirnoff and VML US decided to take action into their own hands, and embark on a mission to reignite social connection via the power of music. Building on the brand’s ‘WE DO WE’ platform, the two decided the best way to do this was by literally demonstrating how music is a common language, bringing in two Canadian artists - Isaac Zale and Leila Dey - with completely different stylistic backgrounds to create a collaborative, four-track EP. Centred around the idea of fusing their unique styles and using Smirnoff bottles as percussive tools to enhance the tracks, the work celebrates all that music represents, and the promise of an exciting summer full of the opportunity for social connection.
To learn more about how this came to life, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with VML associate creative directors Jake Campbell and Patrick Kraft, as well as Diageo’s head of marketing in Canada, Nadia Niccoli, for a chat.
LBB> What was the brief for this campaign, and why was celebrating Canada’s diversity, both musical and otherwise, something you wanted to do?
Nadia> Last year, Smirnoff underwent the biggest brand shift in more than a decade as we launched our ‘WE DO WE’ platform which champions the power of the collective and the spark that’s created when different people, flavours and ingredients come together.
Since the launch, Smirnoff has embarked on a mission to reignite social connections around the world, and we’ve brought this to life through music. Whether singing along or providing the backing track to a memorable moment, music has an incredible power to bring people together regardless of where you’re from. So, as we look to foster social connections, it felt natural to celebrate the diversity of the Canadian music industry.
Jake & Patrick> With that in mind, our task was to bring that positioning to life through culture, rather than a traditional campaign. The goal was to get our audience to connect with Smirnoff on a deeper level, and create a community that could come together and feel supported by the brand.
LBB> Specifically, creating a four track EP is not something you see a vodka brand doing every day. How did this idea come to pass, and what made it the right way to promote Smirnoff?
Jake & Patrick> From the briefing stage, we felt that music was the most fertile ground to build something that would bring together a diverse, global audience. Music, like nothing else, unites people regardless of nationality, language, or cultural differences. It’s an incredibly powerful catalyst for connection and a key part of any good time.
So, igniting a collaborative EP of new music that expressed the importance of togetherness was an exciting and new way to bring Smirnoff’s message to the world, without being too promotional. We wanted something that could have a life of its own and be bigger than any traditional campaign. Music was the right move.
Nadia> We know that gen z in particular uses music as a medium to learn about different cultures and perspectives, so this felt like the natural space for us to bring our ‘WE DO WE’ activity to life. Once we had decided on that, the challenge was to create a campaign that had the power to bring people together in a creative and inclusive way.
We discovered that our target audience has been creating music using everyday products and sharing their content via social media. To tap into this trend, and put Smirnoff centre stage, we challenged our artists to create some of the music in their tracks using Smirnoff bottles.
LBB> Building on this, the campaign was inspired by research about Canadian happiness and loneliness. What was the process like, what were the key takeaways, and how did they factor into your approach?
Nadia> The statistic that inspired the campaign was a global one. A report (McCann Worldgroup Truth Central Truth About Youth 2023) indicated that 79% of 18–29 year-olds feel their emotional connections are weaker today than they were in the past. However, what really surprised us is just how universal this feeling was, leading us to learn about a global ‘joy recession’ that is affecting many younger people.
Additionally, a 2024 survey conducted by Diageo Canada found that within Canada, 78% of gen z feel that their generation is more isolated than those that went before them – a huge number of people. The ‘WE DO WE’ campaign was born from a desire to try and combat this joy recession by making it our mission to fuel social connections.
Jake & Patrick> Canada is a really interesting market. It’s home to over 450 different ethnicities, so it’s incredibly diverse. But at the same time, it’s not exactly a melting pot. Since 2020, there’s been a 40% increase in Canadians feeling that it’s ‘diverse but not inclusive’, so it can feel very isolating.
To us, this made Canada the perfect place to begin. We knew Smirnoff could challenge our Canadian audience to step out of what they know and engage, include, and welcome others into their circle. It’s a place where we could celebrate different cultures without expecting them to assimilate into one, and that’s exactly how we wanted to approach our unique music collaboration.
LBB> From there, how did you get Isaac Zale and Leila Dey involved? And what made them the right people for the job?
Jake & Patrick> With our market locked, we set our sights on finding musicians with singular voices, contrasting styles, and different backgrounds that would make for an unexpected collaboration.
We vibed with Isaac Zale’s independent hip-hop style and elevated lyrics, and were blown away by Leila Dey’s powerful voice on top of her eclectic R&B tracks. Finding out Isaac was out of Vancouver and Leila was based in Toronto, we knew that putting them together would lead to some interesting musical and cultural alchemy, and we were not disappointed.
LBB> What was working with them like? And what was in the creator kits they were provided, in order to help them make music?
Jake & Patrick> Working with Isaac and Leila didn’t feel like work. They both had a lot of love for the project and were fully invested in inspiring cross-cultural connection with their music. They were as excited as we were on every video call, and were stoked to work together and get some good music out there for fans across Canada.
We sent them huge road cases customised with Smirnoff branding as creator kits to spark their music creation. Inside the kits we put bottles of Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka, cans and bottles of Smirnoff ICE, and a custom-branded cocktail kit with a cocktail shaker, strainer, stirring spoon and jigger. Plus, we included a customised music sampler and beat machine and a pro-grade microphone to help them capture and transform sounds.
For a surprise, we gave them both Smirnoff ‘WE DO WE’ puffer jackets as an extra thanks, so they can rep the partnership and keep warm during those cold Canadian winters.
LBB> Tell us more about the composition process! Did you assist at all, or just let them do their thing?
Jake & Patrick> Making music out of Smirnoff products and accessories is definitely a fresh take on art, but like any creative endeavour, a total blank page can be daunting. Aside from the creator kit, we gave Isaac and Leila a loose thematic prompt, but had them make it their own. We wanted their unique voices, styles, experiences and perspectives to come through, so we gave them all the freedom we could.
LBB> The spot is also brilliant! How did this come to life, and why did you opt to place the artists and their work front and centre, rather than the brand’s offerings?
Jake & Patrick> We knew we had to have Isaac and Leila meet for the first time and capture whatever chemistry came from it, so we found a great studio space in Toronto that had a unique vibe and set the tone for an intimate and fun collab session.
For us on set, it was incredible just to be flies on the wall for natural conversations between Isaac and Leila. To experience how these passionate artists connected over their love of music, despite their differences, was really inspiring. And as fans, it was a real treat to be able to sit and talk with them between setups… although we resisted asking for autographs.
Nadia> When creating a campaign that sits in culture, it’s important to create authentic content that resonates with the target audience first and foremost.
In order for our products to shine through in a way that felt natural, we wanted to make them a part of the story rather than the focus, and our way to do that was to have the artists use Smirnoff bottles to create music which they then mixed into their track.
We also created branded ‘drops’ that went out to the artists at the start of the campaign to announce the challenge, and ensured that there were subtle nods to the brand throughout the content that was created.
LBB> In particular, the edit really brings it to life - especially seeing Isaac and Leila using the creator kits as percussion and setting it to the soundtrack. What did it take to make sure the final product would really pop?
Jake & Patrick> To bring the story to life, we knew we could rely on our teams in Vault, VML’s internal production and post-production arm. We have talented producers, directors and editors on staff who know our process, understood the vision, but weren’t shy about bringing their own ideas to the table. Having them always makes the work seamless from start to finish.
Luckily, the soundtrack itself became a major driver of the creative. Leila and Isaac set the tone and energy themselves. We just tried to capture the magic and put it in every piece of content.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?
Jake & Patrick> The biggest challenge of a project like this was its sheer complexity. It required tonnes of people and different partners across several disciplines working together under a singular vision. We had to stay close to leadership at Smirnoff, their other agencies, as well as our artists and their management teams to keep the work on track and on budget.
If we weren’t constantly communicating and keeping the work collaborative across the board, there’d be no trust and none of this would’ve been possible.
Nadia> As with all campaigns that involve talent, ensuring you select the right partners to work with can be crucial. It took us a little while to find the right artists because we wanted to make sure that they shared our brand values and represented the Canadian musical landscape. Having a stringent set of criteria that talent had to meet helped us hone in on the right partners.
Once we had the right talent in place, the next challenge was ensuring we were able to convey our ‘WE DO WE’ story and how that connects to music in a 30-second piece of content. Having a simple, clear message that laddered up to our brand purpose made this task much easier; talking about how Smirnoff is reigniting social connections through music became our natural story.
LBB> What lessons have you learned in the making of this campaign?
Jake & Patrick> In launching this campaign, it’s become clear how important it is for brands (and agencies) to live and breathe their values. Both VML and Smirnoff put human connection at the forefront of everything we do. That made it easy to keep the work on target but also to find artists who share that passion and are happy to partner with us to make meaningful art.
Nadia> The campaign has received an incredibly positive response, which for us, reinforces the fact that when you do something that’s true to your brand in a way that feels authentic to your audience, it really pays off. Working with talent that fits with your core values further adds to the overall feeling of togetherness that you get from the resulting content.
LBB> You mentioned positive responses, but can you tell us more about how people have reacted to this campaign?
Nadia> Based on engagement, the campaign has been very successful. Not only did our talent post about the campaign and the tracks they produced, but other Canadian music influencers were commenting and sharing the posts as well. It was really lovely to see the industry come together to support the artists we partnered with; I think that’s only something that happens when you really tap into a cultural moment that feels relevant.
Beyond social engagement, we also landed coverage in titles that a vodka brand doesn’t usually appear in, such as Billboard.
LBB> Finally, do you have a favourite track from the EP?
Jake & Patrick> It’s impossible to pick a favourite track! But the beauty of having four wildly different songs is that there’s a mood and a moment for each one. We’re sure that outside of the Smirnoff Spotify playlist, these tracks are going to find their way into summer mixes, DJ sets, and everything in between.
Nadia> I really liked the first two tracks that the artists created, but I absolutely loved them after they had been remixed by the other artist. It was great seeing how each of the influences from these fantastically creative people came together to create something new.
