With BBQs, pool parties and holidays like Memorial Day and 4th July, summer in the US is a key period for drinks brands. In these types of casual, social occasions, vodka tends to lose out to beer and other spirits, so Smirnoff’s new cherry, lime and raspberry flavoured summertime limited edition needed to break through.
Launching in 2016, the spirit’s design had to communicate the flavours, reinvigorate interest in Smirnoff over the whole summer period and be ‘Insta-worthy’ to create a buzz on social media. With bold stripes of red, white and blue ‘coloured ice’, Red, White and Berry’s (RW&B) design emotionally connected with American consumers and has proved a hit on social media.
The enduring design is having a wider halo effect on Smirnoff and has been brought back two years in a row, which is unprecedented for a Diageo limited edition. Annual volume targets were exceeded by 192% in 2018 and sales have grown year-on-year; RW&B flavoured spirit sales are up 54% from 2017 to 2018 and the ready to drink version is up 243%.
