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Explore the Cosmos of Alcohol In New SKYY Vodka Campaign

08/07/2014
Production Company
Los Angeles, United States
342
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Venables Bell & Partners & Biscuit's Mike Maguire with witty 'West of Expected' clips

SKYY Vodka, the number-one premium vodka brand founded and made in the USA unveils its new 360-degree marketing platform today – “West of Expected”. Introduced in 1992, in the iconic cobalt blue bottle that revolutionized how vodkas were made and marketed, SKYY is about to turn the industry on its ear once again. Developed by Venables Bell & Partners, SKYY’s campaign rethinks nightlife conventions with a fresh and irresistible voice inspired by the brand’s innovative roots. 

SKYY Vodka was conceived by an engineer who reimagined the entire vodka category for a better experience. From SKYY’s sleek, cobalt-blue bottle breaking Old World packaging traditions from Russian or Eastern European style vodkas, to its first cutting-edge, lifestyle marketing campaigns – SKYY has always challenged convention and taken a fresh perspective. Following this lead, SKYY’s “West of Expected” platform centers on that very notion – that anything can be made better with fresh thinking – and is presented with clever tongue-in-cheek wit, ensuring that it never takes itself too seriously.   

“In 1992, SKYY was born in San Francisco with the belief that everything can be made better with a little fresh thinking. It's how we created our vodka and the way we see the world,” Kathleen Schuart, Senior Marketing Director, White Spirits and Cordials, Campari America. “It’s with this spirit that SKYY’s new marketing platform is inviting us to take an optimistic view and re-imagine the world around us. We are kicking off our campaign by challenging our thinking around the givens in our social lives, interactions and experiences in a fun and clever way.”

SKYY partnered with internationally recognized independent San Francisco advertising agency,   Venables Bell & Partners, to help reimagine the brand’s image and capture the irreverent and rule-breaking essence and heritage of SKYY’s roots. The agency is best known for creating award-winning challenger-approach campaigns for brands like Audi of America, Google, eBay, and Intel. Most recently, the Cannes Lions awarded VB&P for its Intel “Look Inside” films that highlight making the impossible, possible. 

“SKYY comes from an unexpected place, California, and they create their product in unexpected ways, like an innovative filtration process using real California limestone,” said Will McGinness, Executive Creative Director, Venables Bell & Partners. “So it was important to create a campaign that was equally original, not following any traditional liquor advertising clichés.  We think today’s consumers have seen enough perfect people laughing while holding martini glasses in spirits advertising.  It is time for something different, like how to actually engage with people at bars instead of just looking cool.”

The witty TV spots, directed by Mike Maguire, are on a set inspired by the galaxy itself where an eccentric host delivers lessons on the universe. Only rather than explaining the cosmic significance of a star cluster, these lessons illuminate how to make one’s evening better with a little fresh thinking as told by our host and a troop of surreal camouflaged choreographed stagehands with a series of peculiar props.

The first episode of a series, “Attraction,” sees the host explore the nature of attraction in the universe using an apple and orange. Only the audience quickly comes to realize that he’s really using the fruit to explore the cosmic importance of a wingman when going out – or, in this case, a “wing-lemon.” The out-of-home campaign continues the same witty and unexpected perspective with taglines like, “Vodka so filtered, we even took the Russia out of it." and “No artificial traditions added.” One cheeky execution reminds bar patrons, “Your bartender has a name.  It’s not hey.”


SKYY will be bringing the same “West of Expected” mentality to its fully integrated marketing campaign and will build programs that are continually evolving, encourage conversation and appeal to a new generation of vodka drinkers.  The summer’s highlights include:

• SKYY’s new LGBT program, Toast to Marriage, is designed to draw together communities to help increase visibility and raise funds for Freedom To Marry, the sole national organization dedicated to winning marriage for all nationwide.  

• In the on-premise, SKYY is focused on connecting with consumers by creating innovative nightlife experiences.  SKYY recently partnered with Boiler Room TV, the leading music platform in underground music, to stream one-of-a-kind HD quality live DJ shows and engage them through social channels.   The launch of SKYY Stream delivers a nightlife experience like no other directly to consumers.  

• Available on premise from July - September, SKYY is breaking the rules on packaging again, releasing a first-of-its-kind limited-edition bottle uniquely designed for bottle service, SKYY ELECTRIFYY, which features a graphic LED label that moves to the beat of the music.

The “West of Expected” TV campaign will be unveiled on July 9 nationwide and will appear in national general consumer television and in online executions. Media includes ESPN, FX, AMC, IFC, Bravo, Comedy Central, Logo, TBS, TNT, NBC and VH1.  Digital includes Hulu, YouTube, Urban Daddy and Vice.  Out-of-home will appear in key markets including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, Milwaukee, Dallas, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, New Jersey, and Boston. 

“West of Expected” will continue with more breakthrough 360-degree programming to come throughout 2014 and 2015. 



Credits


AGENCY: Venables Bell & Partners

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Paul Venables and Will McGinness

ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Eric Boyd

ART DIRECTOR: Alex Rice           

COPYWRITER: Daniel Bonder

DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED PRODUCTION: Craig Allen 

AGENCY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Joyce Chen

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Robert Woods

ACCOUNT MANAGER: Katie De La Hoya

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Biscuit Filmworks

DIRECTOR: Mike Maguire

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Nigel Bluck

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Colleen O’Donnell and Shawn Lacy

LINE PRODUCER: Tracy Broaddus

EDITING COMPANY: Final Cut

EDITOR: Matt Murphy

VFX: The Mill

VFX PRODUCER: Kiana Bicoy

TELECINE: Sean Coleman @ Company 3

SOUND DESIGN: Barking Owl

SOUND DESIGNER: Michael Anastasi @ Barking Owl

MUSIC: Mophonics

MIX: Loren Silber @ Lime Studios

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