Dive Brief:

• Grey Goose Vodka introduced a sweeping campaign under the new global brand platform, Live Victoriously, according to a press release. The messaging endorses a consumer shift toward more genuine and relatable luxury as opposed to luxury to impress.
• The program will include out of home, print, video and special events. TV spots depict people embracing a variety of life moments with vigor, including banging on drum sets. The 15- and 30-second spots were directed by Fredrik Bond and carry taglines such as "Live like every day is your birthday." The effort kicked off with special events in London and New York City, where comedians like Colin Jost and Jamie Foxx posed as bartenders, serving drinks and performed stand-up comedy.
• The spots will air through June across cable entertainment networks, primetime TV and sports programming. Out-of-home boards will appear in major markets including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles while print ads will be found in national magazines like Esquire, Rolling Stone and Food & Wine. The effort also includes partnerships with Hulu, Spotify, The Skimm and HypeBeast. As part of the push, Grey Goose is relaunching its digital and social presence with a focus on immersive, interactive engagements. MullenLowe U.S., the brand's new creative agency of record, and executed the platform launch, while Publicis Sapient was appointed for global digital and social strategy.

Dive Insight:

Grey Goose is pulling out all the stops in the Live Victoriously campaign to reposition the vodka's brand messaging, for while it is good to be synonymous with super-premium, being too exclusive may be limiting to sales. With the launch of Live Victoriously, Grey Goose wants to remind that quality need not be reserved for life's major moments, but that major moments can be made all the time. The focus on everyday luxuries ties into younger consumers' interest in authenticity and memorable experiences.

The wide range of placement for Live Victoriously indicates how serious Grey Goose is about reaching a broader consumer base. The brand is focused on enhancing its digital presence at a time when online shopping, in general, is growing, helping boost sales for alcohol beverages via digital channels, including delivery apps like Drizly. In recent years, beer has lost market share to liquor as consumer preferences have changed even as overall category sales decline. Grey Goose is positioning itself to engage consumers with a preference for spirits, including younger consumers.

There's been activity by other spirit brands in the "seize the day" approach. The Macallan, a single malt whisky brand, recently unveiled its first-ever global ad campaign which encourages people to take a chance and step outside their comfort zone. Smirnoff just launched a contest campaign seeking ideas on how best to celebrate Fourth of July. Consumers are encouraged to submit videos explaining how they plan to serve Smirnoff Red, White & Berry at their upcoming party.