Smirnoff faced a clear business challenge: while well-known and widely available, the brand lacked emotional connection with 18–35-year-olds. For this audience, Smirnoff was seen as functional rather than culturally meaningful — not a brand they associated with shared experiences, festivals, or conversation. Following its 2024 debut as the #1 most visited area at Electric Picnic, Ireland’s largest music and arts festival, Smirnoff’s 2025 objective was to move from awareness to advocacy — cementing itself as a distinctive, emotionally resonant, and inclusive brand at the heart of Irish culture.
The Smirnoff Stage returned bigger and bolder, uniting global DJs and grassroots collectives to reflect Ireland’s vibrant cultural mix. Innovation and inclusivity remained central: festival-first Smirnoff Ice vending machines provided instant refreshment and social buzz; Ireland’s first-ever haptic suits enabled hearing-impaired guests to feel the beat; and a partnership with Dublin nightlife venue 37 Dawson Street extended the connection beyond the festival. The Smirnoff Collectives programme deepened engagement, with the public-voted Croí na Gaeilge collective celebrating Irish language and identity through shared festival experiences.
The results were exceptional: serves increased by 12% year-on-year (302,000), social reach exceeded 1.9 million, and brand distinctiveness rose by 7%. 38% of attendees said their perception of Smirnoff improved after the experience, and Kantar data confirmed Smirnoff as Ireland’s most-endorsed spirit for being at the forefront of cocktail culture.
Smirnoff didn’t just sponsor Electric Picnic — it solved a brand relevance challenge and set a new benchmark for inclusive, culturally connected brand experiences in Ireland.
