"Double Side"

WALK A MILE IN HIS SHOES.

Smirnoff Ice Double Black wanted to launch its new product as THE drinks for guys in key African markets, but they were facing an image collapse. People were confused about the brand’s identity, and the flagship product was misperceived as a flavoured beer that only girls drank.

We needed to turn this perception on its head—so we embraced the fact that the product was an unexpected choice for guys. In a category dominated by beer and other low-key drinks, we positioned the new variants as a bold break with the norm.

The standard insights into our guys in these markets was stale and uninspiring. Together with Smirnoff, our team embarked on an intense 10-day immersion in Nairobi and Lagos. We spent time with guys representative of our audience and came away with two key insights, about ingenious African makeshift culture and iconic male swagger, which grounded the Double Side creative platform.

Ice Double Black sold out in Kenya, and exceeded its annual sales goal of 12 million units in less than 6 months.

More importantly, our research respondents loved the campaign, saying that it ‘actually showed their neighborhoods’ and ‘reminded them of themselves and their friends’.