Case study | Smirnoff (Diageo): We Do We
This case study was originally published in the WFA DEI in Content Production guide (June 2024)
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At Diageo, we believe the most inclusive and diverse culture makes for a better world; so we are committed to championing inclusion and diversity not only across our business, but with our partners and within communities, celebrating our differences and helping shape a more tolerant society. This is core to our purpose of “celebrating life, every day, everywhere”.
As one of the world’s largest advertisers, we’re also committed to ensure that from script to screen, everyone sees themselves represented, reflecting the diversity of the people around the world who enjoy our products.
Delivering more progressive productions in practice
Smirnoff’s “We Do We” champions the power of the collective and celebrates the magic of ‘we’ that is created when different people, ingredients and flavours come together.
It was imperative that our production was just as diverse behind, as well as in front of, the camera:
- We adopted a diverse approach to production: We partnered with ANOTHER, a female-owned agile production specialist alongside Man vs Machine who provided us with a diverse talent collective.
- Our director and photographer selection processes were inclusive: Using our triple bid process we ensured that at least one talent option presented was diverse.
- The talent in front and behind the screen was representative: We ensured that the talent we featured within our advertising was reflective of our community and we replicated this commitment behind the camera with a truly diverse crew. We intentionally assembled a diverse ensemble of over 100 acrobats and dancers from seven different countries, speaking five languages representing a kaleidoscope of cultures and backgrounds to feature in our content.
This production is one of many examples that showcases our commitment to making a difference in who we portray in our advertising and who we partner with behind the scenes.
We’re proud of the progress we’ve made but we know that there’s still so much more to do.
