Started as a tongue-in-cheek frat game, "Icing" has steadily gained favor among young males looking for a bonding activity. For active participants, it means buying Smirnoff Ice and presenting a bottle to a friend in an unsuspecting scenario. According to the rules, bros caught off guard have to take the Ice and chug it while on one knee, unless they are carrying their own Ice and are able to block. For observers, it means visiting one of the blogs like brosicingbros.com, which chronicles the most humorous Icings, including "Celebrity Icings" of folks like rapper Coolio and actor Dustin Diamond.
As reported in The New York Times, Sales of Smirnoff Ice in certain regions have taken off on account of the game, as the movement has encouraged males to purchase cases of a sugary drink typically targeted to women. A new consumer segment and increased sales? Sounds like a win-win for Smirnoff.
But this is also a case of a social movement steering the marketing message of a brand without its consent, which can scare marketers who are used to having control. Chugging alcohol probably does not fall in line with the company message in favor of responsible drinking. Smirnoff claims that it is not an elaborate social marketing campaign, and that they had nothing to do with the concept (which I believe, as no marketer in their right mind would go anywhere near Screech).
So what should Smirnoff do? Sit back and enjoy the ride. Many brands pay big bucks to create social marketing campaigns that never see this kind of traction. Smirnoff Ice is lucky enough to be at the center of the type of truly organic social movement that money can't buy. They should enjoy the benefits and do their best to stay out the way.
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