Diageo-owned global vodka brand Smirnoff is working with music streaming platform Spotify to promote equality for women musicians around the world through the launch of its new Smirnoff Equalizer campaign, which features an app that allows Spotify subscribers to analyse their playlists and find out what the balance between male and female artists is.

According to Spotify data, none of the top 10 most-streamed tracks in 2017 were performed by women artists or bands, which is why the vodka brand and the music service have teamed up.

The Smirnoff Equalizer analyses Spotify users’ listening habits to provide them with a percentage breakdown of the number of men versus women artists they have listened to in the previous six months before providing an equalized playlist tailored just for them, where artists of both genders are equally represented.

Users can also make use of a personalised slider, which allows them to increase the number of women artists in their playlists. The innovative platform was debuted at Smirnoff’s “Phenomenal You” launch event, held on March 1^st, 2018 in New York City, one week before International Women’s Day.

Neil Shah, Smirnoff Global Senior Brand Manager, says: “We developed the Smirnoff Equalizer in partnership with Spotify because we believe that when we get to discover talented women artists and their phenomenal music, we’ll all have a better listening experience. The Smirnoff Equalizer not only drives awareness, but also allows Spotify users to take direct action by increasing the number of tracks from women artists in their playlists.”

The goal behind the Smirnoff Equalizer is to get more people listening to more women artists. The bigger their fan bases become, the more opportunities they will have to perform and succeed. The Smirnoff Equalizer platform will run through the summer and can be accessed by Spotify users of a legal drinking age in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, Mexico and Argentina.

One of the artists featured in the Smirnoff Equalizer is Honey Dijon, an African-American transgender woman who is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ and women’s rights and highly respected for her musical heritage and curated DJ sets that defy genres. She will appear in the platform to share her experiences facing gender bias in the music industry.

The Smirnoff Equalizer is the latest initiative from Smirnoff’s “Equalizing Music” campaign, which the brand announced in 2017 with the goal of doubling the number of women festival headliners by 2020. As an extension of this effort, Smirnoff has also partnered with Global Radio and Live Nation to equalize festival line-ups across Europe with performances by women DJs.

“We are very proud that Smirnoff once again chose Spotify as its brand partner for the ‘Equalizing Music’ campaign,” said Danielle Lee, Vice President, Global Head of Partner Solutions at Spotify. “We share Smirnoff’s goal to improve gender diversity in music, and for all the artists, songwriters and producers who create it.”

The launch event for the new API in New York City was themed around “Phenomenal You” with Smirnoff encouraging each woman to celebrate the inherent power of women across the world, starting with themselves.

At the event, Smirnoff unveiled new special edition “Phenomenal You” bottles for Smirnoff No. 21 vodka which are being gifted to 100 phenomenal women around the world, along with a donation made in each of their names to She Runs It, a charity which helps women move into leadership roles.

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Light & Free is joining forces with Spotify UK for a year-long partnership to build strong connections between the Greek-style yoghurt brand and a music-loving audience.

Spotify has partnered with Light & Free to offer unique music prizes throughout 2017 where a small group of winners will see their favourite top-tier artists perform. These unplugged sessions will give fans a chance to watch their favourite artists up close in uniquely designed spaces.

Francois Brugiere, Marketing Manager at Danone Dairies, says: “Entering into the world of music is an innovative way for us to bring the feeling of ‘Light & Free’ to our audience. With this partnership, we are able to give something back to audiences not only through content and music but also in terms of delivering unique experiences that money can’t buy.”

Light & Free, which entered the UK with music at its core through a launch campaign featuring the Labrinth track ‘Express Yourself’, will partner with Spotify and eight lifestyle-focused social media influencers to reach young people who use music as a way of taking time out from their stressful lives.

Based around a series of unique music experiences and Spotify playlists, the activity, run in collaboration with MEC Wavemaker, breaks on February 1^st 2017 and will run throughout 2017. The visual identity was created in partnership with fellow WPP agency, Wunderman UK.

Each artist will be announced on Spotify via homepage takeovers and audio ads as the competitions begin. The first artist will be announced on February 20^th. In addition, Light & Free, Spotify, and their social influencer friends will create exclusive playlists that express different shades of enjoying “feeling Light & Free.”  Light & Free will also be one of the first brands to use Spotify’s innovative Branded Moments ad unit.

Danny Weitzkorn, a director at MEC Wavemaker, adds: “The Spotify partnership is an exciting opportunity to reach the Light & Free audience through one of its main passion points, music.”

Chris Forrester, Country Manager at Spotify, comments: “In the past few years, Spotify has witnessed a huge consumer trend towards moment-based music listening. In being the first brand to run a UK-based campaign around Spotify’s ‘Chill’ music moment, Light & Free has created the perfect opportunity to bring the brand attributes of Light & Free to an audience of relaxed and engaged music fans.”

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Renault last week unleashed a fleet of 70 Renault Twingos throughout central London so the capital’s public could test drive or test ride for free, to raise awareness and engagement with the A-Segment super mini.

Renault is trying to position the Twingo as a fun city car, along the lines of the very similar Smart ForFour. It teamed up with Hertz to put 70 Twingos on the streets in five locations across London – Hertz’s Marble Arch branch on the Edgware Road, Westfield (in Stratford and White City), ExCel and Battersea Park – from Wednesday 20th April to Friday 22nd April for free test drives and rides.

The cars drove throughout London in groups of 10 via iconic landmarks and hotspots to attract test drives and engagement with the brand. Anyone who took a trip in a Twingo on Wednesday April 20th was entered into a draw to win tickets to a ‘Secret’ Spotify Gig in London on Thursday, headlined by Katy B, with a Twingo and chauffeur to take them there. Consumers unable to take advantage of a free ride in a Twingo were also able to enter the draw by uploading their details to a website.

James Boyer, Marketing Director at Groupe Renault UK & Ireland, said: “Twingo is the ultimate city car – trendy chic, fun as well as incredibly practical, so what better way to show it off to Londoners than with the most creative city test drive ever, one that comes to you, and that can even get you access to a unique concert that is sure to be a fantastic night.”

The marketing campaign was put together for Renault by Manning Gottlieb OMD, Hertz and experiential agency Fusion Events.

The campaign was supported by digital and print marketing including Renault’s own channels as well as a partnership with Spotify and Time Inc. Bloggers Roxy and Hannah Leigh will also be producing bespoke content as part of the editorial outreach.

It is the first time Renault has used live brand experience in the way to offer test drives and trips to consumers. The company now plans to use more live experiences to connect with potential purchasers and opinion formers.

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