With 8 Integrations, Stoli Unleashes Campaign Around 'Atomic Blonde'

With a whopping eight Stolichnaya integrations in the summer action flick “Atomic Blonde,” the vodka brand and Universal Pictures aren’t  stinting on the supporting campaign.

The companies teased the tie-in with a 15-second video (viewable on YouTube) launched earlier this month, and Stoli was the official sponsor of the movie’s red-carpet premiere in Los Angeles in late July.
Now, with the movie having debuted in the U.S. this past weekend, the rest of the co-branded multimedia campaign is switching into full gear.

The female MI6 agent played by Charlize Theron prefers Stoli on Ice to James Bond’s “shaken, not stirred” martinis — one of several references used to underline that she’s not hewing to stereotypes of the male variety.

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The number of in-movie placements and scale of the tie-in deal reflects what Stoli, after reading the script, saw as a natural fit between the lead character and the brand’s “unapologetically bold character,” said Stoli Group USA VP Russell Pareti. “It also reinforces our quality and authentic heritage — as [Stoli] was a specific choice made to fit her character.”

The integrations include the character pouring a glass of Stoli in the film’s opening sequence as she slips her bruised body into an ice bath, and ordering the spirit at an East Berlin bar teeming with KGB agents. 

The campaign, running through August, targets consumers 25 to 49 and includes television, out-of-home (shown) in New York City, L.A., Boston, Miami, Chicago and Dallas, print, digital and social media, and a dedicated Pandora digital station featuring music from the movie’s soundtrack and playlists from the ’80s. 

“All media were selected to align with elements of the movie and its 1989 setting/music,” Pareti tells Marketing Daily

That includes running the TV ads (in Miami, New York, Boston and L.A.) in “high-energy” and pop culture programming such as “Entertainment Weekly,” “Shark Week” and late-night shows; and in sports programming like “American Ninja Warrior” and WWE and UFC shows, as well as more traditional choices like the “MLB All-Star Game.” Primetime premieres and finales are in the mix to boost visibility and reach.

Print ads carrying themes from the movie are being run in Playboy, Us Weekly, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Automobile and Cigar Aficionado

Stoli is using its social media channels to post custom photo and video content using scenes from the film, as well as giving fans behind-the-scenes access to the film, such as livestreaming the red carpet at the U.S. premiere.

The digitaldistribution plan uses banner ads and integrated 15-second video content through partners including Playboy.com, ESPN.com, Sightly and Pandora. The Playboy digital content is '80’s-themed, and the content on YouTube/Sightly is targeted to segments including fans of thriller movies and fans of Theron.

Stoli and Universal are also offering Stoli-based, “Atomic Blonde”-themed cocktails, in limited-edition cups, at theater chains that serve alcoholic beverages, including Cineapolis and Movie Tavern.  

In addition, Stoli is running a sweepstakes on a dedicated site, and bars across the country are featuring co-branded displays and promotional parties.

 
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