Dive Brief:
- Diageo malt beverage brand Smirnoff Ice created a gag gift in the guise of a collaboration with a made-up luxury home goods brand named Cremsiffino, the company revealed in a press release. Cremsiffino is actually an anagram for Smirnoff Ice.
- The gift boxes are designed to look like they contain premium home goods such as one-of-a-kind clothing hangars, a hand mixer and a miniature ironing board. However, inside each box is actually a bottle of Smirnoff Ice.
- Consumers can order the gifts at giftagram.com/smirnofficeboxes for $20 including shipping. Smirnoff is also selling the fake boxes to be filled with other items for $10.
Dive Insight:
During the holidays, people often struggle with finding appropriate gifts to bring to office parties and family gatherings. Smirnoff is having fun with these holiday gift exchange games by creating a playful way to give something that appears like a boring gift that no one really wants but is actually a more desirable bottle of malt beverage.
Many brands offer special gift box collaborations during the holidays, and Smirnoff's campaign stems from this tradition. The bait and switch central to the campaign also alludes to a drinking game called Icing — which evolved from the "Bros Icing Bros" Internet meme in 2010 — that involves surprising someone with a Smirnoff Ice bottle that they then have to chug.
Many brands have been jumping on the gag gift giving trend this holiday season, a strategy that has the potential to engage younger consumers who are brand loyalists and encourage them to post on social media about the gifts. McDonald's launched its first year-round e-commerce store that exclusively sells brand-themed merchandise. The Golden Arches Unlimited online store offers sesame seed and Happy Meal Christmas tree ornaments, a red-and-green sweater and a winter beanie. Seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster dreamed up a new limited-edition "ugly" holiday sweater that is covered in shrimp and biscuits and features a built-in insulated pocket to keep biscuits warm.
The Smirnoff Ice Cremsiffino gift boxes are a part of the brand's "Not-So-Silent Nights" holiday campaign that launched in November. The campaign stars LGBTQIA+ celebrity Laverne Cox enjoying festive parties around town that involve feasting, gift giving and tree topping, which refers pouring vodka over a pyramid of martini glasses modeled into a Christmas tree. The effort is currently running on TV, digital and social.
The brand is also offering other gift items like Smirnoff Peppermint Twist with scratch-and-sniff packaging and Smirnoff No. 21 Ornaments.
