Smirnoff Ice backs London’s New Year travel

Diageo UK’s Smirnoff Ice is spending £1.4m on sponsoring free travel on London’s Underground network, Docklands Light Railway and London buses, during New Year’s Eve.

It is the second year in a row that the premium packaged spirit brand has sponsored free travel in the capital alongside Transport for London and London Underground. A special “Christmas made clear” advertising campaign will promote the tie-up.

The deal was negotiated by Viacom Outdoor’s special projects team, Impact. Smirnoff’s branding will appear on ads promoting the evening of free travel on sites across the city, including Viacom’s bus and rail inventory, which includes bus sides, crosstrack posters, lift and escalator panels and posters inside buses and trains. Joint branding with Transport for London and London Underground will appear on key London Transport noticeboard sites, the website and on 300,000 leaflets.

The campaign begins this week and runs until January 5. Media buying is through Carat and Posterscope, with J Walter Thompson handling the creative work.

Impact sales director Nicky Cheshire says: “This year’s campaign promises to deliver huge brand equity for Smirnoff Ice during one of the busiest periods of the year. Sponsorship of free travel in the capital on New Year’s Eve is unique, in that it strikes a chord with a young yet elusive audience, and so delivers immeasurable value to the brand.”