• by Larissa Faw , October 2, 2014

In April, Smirnoff and MDC Partners' creative agency 72andSunny introduced "Exclusivity for Everybody," a new global campaign to convey how vodka at its core has always been the drink of the people; approachable and accessible for everyone.

Now, Smirnoff and the agency's Amsterdam office are conveying similar good times through the "The Double Side" campaign to coincide with the debut of Smirnoff's Ice Double Black and Ice Double Black Guarana in Africa.

Shot on location in Accra, Ghana, by director Martin Krejci, the film merges documentary and music video styles to follow three stylish characters through the bustling streets of an African city to get an unfiltered understanding of the continent’s bold male attitude.

"The campaign is about the ‘double-side’ celebrating bold African young adult males who turn the ordinary into the extraordinary by making their everyday lives and usual spaces double as something unexpected," says Liam Osbourne, brand Manager, 72andSunny Amsterdam.

The Double Side is rolling out across TV in Africa starting off in Kenya this fall, and progressing to Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda, Angola and Nigeria through the new year. The spot can be seen here.

Then, on January 20, 2015 a slightly different edit, although "still championing the bold males confident to make unexpected choices," says Osborne, will launch in other markets across the world. 

Meanwhile, the campaign also includes a cultural collaboration between artists from Kenya and Nigeria under the film’s original soundtrack, “We Don’t Care” by Audio Bullys. These resulting tracks will be released on radio, shared with local DJs and available for download across the continent.

Smirnoff parent company Diageo -- owner of brands Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, and Baileys -- declines to break out ad spend by category or region, but the company reports total marketing increased as a percent of sales to 15.7% last year. U.S. spending on Smirnoff is estimated at $20-$30 million.

This is the first time that 72andSunny has launched work in Africa for Smirnoff. Last August, 72andSunny, part of MDC Partners, was awarded global creative duties for the alcohol brand after Diageo put the account in review. Previously, JWT, a unit under WPP, had handled the account for 14 years.