Smirnoff goes for Gold with new vodka

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DIAGEO have announced further investment in the UK’s leading vodka brand, with the launch of the new Smirnoff Gold to its flavoured vodka range.

The continued investment in the flavoured range sees the gold topped bottle aimed at the higher end of the market with a hint of natural cinnamon and edible 23 carat gold leaf garnishing.

But there is still a nod to the UK’s best selling spirit, the Smirnoff Red, with that Smirnoff No.21 premium vodka used as the base for the new drink

The launch is supported by a £4.5m integrated through-the-line campaign and is aimed at consumers seeking new flavours. Diageo believe it will drive incremental sales into the vodka category, which is growing at 2% year on year in the on-trade.

That advertising campaign will mean Smirnoff will be on UK televisions in all but one of the calendar months, with January being the exception.

At Diageo’s winter briefing in London last week, Smirnoff brand manager, Jessica Lace said consumers were not being “inventive enough” when it came to the type of serve they have with their vodka, with 48% of UK Smirnoff drinkers choosing Coke as their serve.

The new Smirnoff Gold bottle
The new Smirnoff Gold bottle

With that in mind, Smirnoff Gold can be used as a twist to the company’s Apple Bite campaign, with an alternative television advert now running. The apple bite is Smirnoff vodka, lemonade and apple juice, with the Apple Bite Gold using the new cinnamon laced vodka.

At the conference, Jessica highlighted the Smirnoff strapline for the new campaign, saying, “great drinks are yours for the making.”

Some Smirnoff stats:

£1.60 in every £10 spent on sprits in the UK is on Smirnoff, with one in every two bottles of vodka sold being Smirnoff.

Smirnoff Red top was the best selling UK spirit last Christmas, generating £115m for the company,

Category: Bar & Pub, Brands and Drinks, News, Spirits