Skyy, one of the more mature American premium vodkas, was launched in the early ‘90s and found a following with nightclub-goers by coupling an edgy marketing approach with a formula that promised less impurities thanks to a quadruple-distillation and triple-filtration process. Fast forward 30 years and the brand sees an opportunity to leverage heritage while updating its marketing to build awareness with a new generation. 

The Campari Group-owned brand recently launched a global advertising campaign designed to reintroduce the brand following a reformulation that saw minerals added for a more flavorful taste and the redesign of its signature blue bottle. The new effort encourages consumers to “Embrace Every Y,” using the extra letter “y” in the brand’s name as the jumping off point for a series of taglines like “Y Go Out?”

The new work includes video advertising shot by artist, filmmaker and photographer Nadia Lee Cohen and motion direction by Charlie Denis. Cohen’s style lends a striking visual style to vignettes in which partyers socialize with each other by following their own paths and styles. 

“When we went through the archives of the brand, we saw some very interesting and often provocative executions,” said Raul Gonzalez, global managing director for spirits at Campari Group, which has owned the Skyy brand since 2001. “When we were briefing our agency on the campaign, we definitely thought about going back to that feeling and attitude and that disruptive approach to creativity.”

Here’s why

One spot begins with the question “Y Go Out?” while showing a group of five young, attractive individuals playing limbo in a retro-themed basement as a 60’s-era hipster soundtrack plays. After freezing on several of the partyers’ smiling faces, the spot encourages consumers to “Embrace Every Y.”

Another spot depicts two people with flowing hair and sporting paisley silk clothing as they dance at a party while others in dark suits stand around and asks the question “Y Blend In?” A still photo shows three people in pajamas lounging on couches for a relaxing evening in, posing the question “Y Dress Up?”

Younger consumers are craving authenticity and genuine connection in a distracting and noisy world, Gonzalez noted.

“Although they still live in the digital world, and they love to participate in social media, they have an elevated sense of being in the here-and-now and spending time with friends and just being present in the moment,” he said. “We're moving away from social status as a currency and more into just being with your friends and elevating those everyday moments.”

Ultimately, it’s that authenticity that Gonzalez expects will resonate for a brand in a consumer and media landscape that has changed significantly since Skyy’s heyday. 

“Finding your voice and delivering your message with the right tone to the right audience is essential,” he said. “If not, you're going to get lost in the noise.”

Standing out

As the campaign will run heavily on digital channels, the retro visuals and nostalgia themes were styled to stand out, per Gonzalez. The campaign was developed in collaboration with New York-based creative agency Small with support from DMB Productions. 

“Embrace Every Y” launched in May in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. The media strategy includes 15- and six-second videos, stills and GIFs that are being amplified through online video, paid social and search across channels including YouTube, Hulu, Facebook and Instagram.

“We knew one of our most important challenges was to have a stopping power to this campaign,” Gonzalez said. “It needed a strong idea executed in a way that would make consumers stop scrolling and look twice.”

The stylistic, fashion-like aesthetic of the campaign is an intentional choice to differentiate the brand in the category and a nod to the brand’s marketing roots, which featured design-forward advertising centered around Skyy’s iconic blue bottle.

The brand has its work cut out for it in category that is growing but has seen a proliferation of newcomers since Skyy’s launch. Vodka accounts for 31% of all spirits sold by volume in the U.S., with flavored vodkas representing around a fifth of the category’s total sales, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Category sales more than doubled from nearly $3 billion in 2003 to nearly $6.6 billion in 2019, according to the group. The category is led by Grey Goose (a top three choice in 50% of bars), followed by Ketel One and Absolut, according to Drinks International.

“This campaign for us is a great opportunity to really talk about our brand and to get consumers to see Skyy with new eyes and fall in love with the brand all over again,” said Gonzalez. “It is an invitation to consumers to enter a journey with us that starts through curiosity and asking questions and encourages you to ask that extra question that will always take you to a different place.”