Troye Sivan Gives Smirnoff All the Vibes

"No thoughts, just vibes"?is the newest job title.

As part of a campaign dubbed "Go OFF,"?Smirnoff announced?that musician Troye Sivan will serve as its chief vibes officer This multi-year partnership?aims to fuel collaborations aligned with the brand's?"We Do We"?messaging.

Smirnoff will sponsor the new CVO's upcoming New Zealand and Australia tour?to kick off the partnership, hosting afterparties in Sydney and Melbourne as part of?the campaign's call-to-action?of ditching to-do lists and making time for going out instead.

This isn’t?the first time?Gen Z culture has profoundly?influenced marketing strategies?(take the?Nutter Butter lore?on?TikTok, with?#NutterButter?at 10.5K posts, as evidence that absurdity sells). Smirnoff's partnership with Sivan is well-positioned to connect with younger audiences, but brands should also weigh?possible?risks?at play with such activations.?

While?cultural relevance?can make brands more appealing, the messaging may not resonate as sincere with younger audiences, especially given the increasing skepticism around celebrity endorsements.?Moreover, the sober-curious lifestyle (#sobercurious?at 103.5k posts on TikTok) is becoming popular among younger consumers post-pandemic.?Smirnoff will need to find a balance, engaging audiences through Silvan without losing broader appeal.

Why it matters:?Brands should prioritize cultural relevance, inclusivity, and relatability, using language and figures that resonate with their audience. However, authenticity is paramount, as superficial campaigns can alienate customers. Smirnoff’s move highlights the importance of integrating influencers into long-term strategies, rather than relying on one-off promotions, to create meaningful engagement. Success hinges on balancing trendiness with core brand identity while delivering genuine value to consumers.

Other news and trends

• Netflix Streams Sports.?Last Friday, Netflix served?the historic matchup?between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson to?60 million households?globally, signaling a new era of live streaming. This comes after Netflix acquired global streaming rights?for the NFL's Christmas Day games, with? Beyoncé?scheduled to perform at halftime during the Texans-Ravens game. However, viewers had concerns not just about?the outcome of the match? but also the?quality of the stream. Throughout the evening,?Downdetector logged?over 100,000 complaints from users experiencing issues while watching the event, and many?took to social media?to share?clips? glitchy, pixelated frames. The incident?prompted? football fans?to question? whether Netflix could handle?NFL traffic.
• Gemini remembers.?Google?announced yesterday?that Gemini Advanced subscribers can now ask the AI chatbot to "remember" personal information about them. The chatbot will?recall an individual's?interests, work, hobbies, or dietary needs when prompted and tailor its responses accordingly. Users can manage their data?via the "Saved Info" page, where they can view, edit, or delete stored information, and Gemini will note when it uses this data in replies. Available in English through Google One AI Premium, this mirrors?OpenAI's Memory feature, which?launched for ChatGPT Plus in April, enabling similar personalized interactions based on past conversations.
• Trending on TikTok: Sad violin takes.?The latest trend on TikTok just might have birthed one of the most-liked videos on the platform. Set to?a sound titled "Dramatic Sad Violin,"?users film confessions?or takes with the camera facing away from them, then flip it halfway to "expose" themselves. Initially, the trend featured pets? “filming” as they?asserted?that humans should?feed them?more, but it has now grown to include topics like getting?money?from a?parent,?sibling rivalries, and?relationship desires. Several?celebrities?have?hopped?on the trend, but?Taylor Lautner's video?about Twilight's Bella and Jacob took the cake, garnering over 146M views and 26M likes in 48 hours.

Contributors: Head of Social Content and Engagement Strategy Cristina Lawrence, Senior Vice President Jerry Lawrence, Group Vice President Andrew McKernan, and Senior Vice President Tammy Pepito. At Razorfish, we help brands define their higher purpose—the emotional reason why they belong in people’s lives. Ready to find your purpose? Learn more here.

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