Vodka Cruiser encourages The Veronicas to ‘go solo’ in celebration of female and femme self-pleasure in new campaign via TBWA\Melbourne
Vodka Cruiser, a brand that has been championing female and femme fun for over 21 years, has partnered with iconic Australian pop music duo, The Veronicas, to release music as first-time solo artists, aimed at breaking down the societal stigma associated with female and femme masturbation in a new campaign via TBWA\Melbourne.
Vodka Cruiser engaged Jessie and Lisa to launch the initiative, aptly named the ‘The Solo Project’. Produced by BRING, each of the sister’s original tracks and corresponding music videos are an empowering celebration of self-pleasure, intended to encourage more females and femmes to talk openly about the topic.
The initiative comes off the back of a survey* commissioned by Vodka Cruiser that revealed that while most Australian women** find masturbation to be fun and healthy (72%), 57% admit to feeling ashamed when they masturbate.
Despite this, 60% believe now is the time for self-pleasure to be normalised, and a third want more people to be talking openly about the topic.
TBWA\Melbourne says: “Vodka Cruiser is a unique brand that has organically embedded itself into culture, with its fanbase appropriating the brand for their own social fun. But as we discovered, fun is not always equal, and so we set out to do something about it. We are incredibly proud of this campaign and the societal conventions it will hopefully help to disrupt.”
Says Brooke Pilton, executive partnerships director at BRING, : ‘The Solo Project has been an incredibly fluid and intimate collaboration between BRING, The Veronicas, Vodka Cruiser and agency partners. Beyond the music touchpoints, BRING designed and executed a strategy for the singles release campaign, leveraging the vast capabilities of Universal Music Australia encompassing A&R, marketing, media servicing, vinyl production, content and access to exclusive Streaming ad formats only accessible to artists.
‘With “Seeing Stars” and “Cruisin’ On My Own”, we have two genuinely exciting tracks and we cannot wait to see how fans engage with them.’
Jessie’s high-powered anthem “Seeing Stars” is a flashback to The Veronicas’ first studio album The Secret Life Of…, with a bold and brash modern twist. “Seeing Stars” explicitly dives right into celebrating pleasure as a woman, with punchy lyrics that turn up the heat. Taking her track in a different direction, Lisa’s heartfelt ballad “Cruisin’ On My Own” champions the importance of prioritising your own self-love.
To further help push the conversation forward and provide education on female and femme self-pleasure, Vodka Cruiser have enlisted Australian sex and relationship expert, Chantelle Otten to serve as The Solo Project’s official ambassador.
Jessie and Lisa’s songs and music videos are streaming now across Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. A limited number of vinyl records have also been produced and are available to purchase via the Vodka Cruiser website, with all proceeds going to charity.
In addition to the music videos, the campaign is rolling out across PR, social, paid media and digital.
For more information on Vodka Cruiser’s The Solo Project, visit https://vodkacruiser.com.au/soloproject or follow Vodka Cruiser on Instagram @vodkacruiser.
Client: Carlton & United Breweries Premium Beverages
Creative Agency: TBWA\Melbourne
PR Agency: Eleven
Media Agency: PHD
Music Agency: BRING: Universal Music for Brands
Adam Ireland, General Manager
James Griffiths, Executive Creative Director
Brooke Pilton, Executive Partnerships Director
Jon Darren, Creative Director
James ‘Wilko’ Wilkinson, Creative
Chris Russell, Brand Partnerships Director
Isabella Ziino, Account Manager
Video Production: Eight
Director: Courtney Brookes
Director: Anita Lee
Executive Producer: Lib Kelly
Producer: Jess Belgiovane
DOP: Tyson Perkins
DOP: Alex Leeway
Editor: Jordan Swioklo
Colourist: Alina Bermingham
Online Artist: Jess Morgan
Photographer: Jordan Kirk
Choreographer: Sophie Holloway
79 Comments
Who are the veronicas?
If sex sells, what the fuck does masturbation do?
Getting this made is genuinely impressive
How they got this work up is beyond me?! Kudos to everyone involved.
This is pretty wild!
love this type of execution
This is impressive on so many levels. Well done to all involved.
Mad props for getting this idea made. Weird link to a drink but still, epic.
Wish I’d done it
Love to see a good idea that you actually see in the media
This is gratuitous. Plain and simple.
Weird link to a alcoholic beverage? Too right.
If woman have psychological issues, trauma or shameful…alcohol is the perfectly wrong way to de with it.
Not sure also where standard council comes I’m in terms of linking alcohol to sex either.
But this is one of the most overreaching pile of nonsense I’ve ever seen.
Can’t imagine a men’s version of this getting up. Sorry for that last bit.
Can you do a dudes version for Solo?
but I’m unconvinced that masturbation needs normalised – what benefit does it bring making it more ‘normalised’ – what does that even mean anyway?
So yeah, looks cool, but the whole ‘brand purpose’ – nah, sorry, not for me
What is the brand strategy? What is the idea? Why Vodka Cruiser? I am all for tactical work. Like Vegimite. But this is just a massive waste of time, and money. Don’t believe me? What is the main message takeout for this? Vodka Cruiser will have a recall of zero. And it will be all over tomorrow morning. But at least they have the award video prepped.
So we’re now just all in a race to do the most risque campaigns? This is so disjointed as a concept. Possibly one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen on this blog.
I want to hate this. But it’s actually a pretty clever way to cut through.
Gotta love those things!
but everyone was talking about this during the week. Job done.
If an NRL player takes a shit in a hotel lobby everyone talks about it for a week.
Agree it’s getting tiresome seeing brands find ‘purpose’ – but this a great idea and well executed.
Hats off TBWA and CUB. Brave, powerful stuff.
I do it.I like it.Why do I have to talk about it?
Brand linkage zero. Waste of time and money. Love the execution.
Is it just me or does ‘Seeing Stars’ feel a little like ‘Addicted to Bass’? Even some of the lyrics like ‘sliding down the window’
Yikes
Saw this on tiktok the other day. Was waiting for the credits list to come out so i could congratulate everyone involved.
Great execution, and lots of positive chatter online.
Nice one legends
What’s not to get?
😫8✊=D💦
I feel like I have lost my goddam mind.
Client. ‘How should we sell this sugar filled, pretty rubbish cheap RTD’
Planner. ‘Did you know some woman are ashamed of masturbation?’
How was there not just an awkward pause before the suit hurriedly moved them on and afterwards told the planner to stop bringing that up in every meeting? How did it actually become a live campaign.
I really despair for AU advertising at the moment tbh
You’d be the guy who’d think you can reach this audience with more banner ads and a BWS promotion.
No, I’d be the girl that fires you for coming up with that kind of shit.
I think they saw this campaign and liked the edginess and the art direction and decided to steal most of it.
https://vimeo.com/729651115?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=2846887
How embarrassing for the industry
insight: Vodka cruiser drinkers are 10 times more likely to be single and 40 times more likely to chronic masturbators.
OK. This work is certainly ambitious, which we should be wholeheartedly celebrating, but it’s ultimately a piece of brand building communications. However the link to the brand is nonexistent and suggests drinking this product is best done on your own. Which, unless i’m mistaken, is never a great look for an alcohol brand. Domestic awards juries will lap it up though.
Having a celebratory wank right now. Hats off to all involved.
I love the idea of getting the Veronicas (known by many for being a twin duo) going solo, and linking that to ‘solo’ masturbation. It’s simple and very easy for press and people to latch onto. The link to the need to talk about/normalise masturbation is flaky at best but it does allow them to wrap in a WHY that, even if I dont get, maybe their market will
I also understand what some are saying about there then not then being such a strong connection to the brand/product, but I think it then comes down to how it’s executed doesn’t it – how front and centre they can make Cruisers as part of the campaign.
Anyway, despite some flaws, I actually think its interesting work, so hats off for getting it made.
This campaign is genuinely good. At first it doesn’t make sense but then you watch it and it does. Example of a brand staying relevant to young people (like me) in a way that goes beyond.
For a young person (like me) who is Someone from Gen Z, this fully bussing fire beat would be on fleek slay the house down boots, hunty. No cap, as my fellow Gen Z companions would say.
It’s giving very much “hello fellow kids” vibes.
This reeks of a brand trying to find an edgy purpose and getting it all wrong.
Clearly no female or femme creatives worked on this.
the brand is fun, so is wanking, but heaps of women feel like they can’t have fun in that way because its gross. nice
It really isn’t a surprise that the only agency folks I have seen sharing this on LinkedIn have been dudes. This entire thing feels like a man’s idea of how to engage young female drinkers and honest to god, the entire thing just makes me feel creeped out
Local award juries: they will eat this up and declare it the best thing ever
International award juries: wtf, how is this linked to the brand and product in any way?
CUB 6 months from now: so this led to literally no increase in sales? Who could have ever seen that coming
This will get great cut through for how ambitious it is, but I’m totally at a loss as to the link to wanking.
If it was heroing Smirnoff’s support of a female sexual health initiative I’d get it, but it’s just… a campaign about jerking off? Ok?
Might as well just have said, “girls love RTDs so we got the Veronicas to sing about cool it is drinking RTDs”.
No connection to the brand.
Booze and wanking is weird (and laborious)
Why do we need to talk about masturbation? It doesn’t stop you doing it.
Can’t see any reason for Cruiser to be doing this.
Wreaks of desperation from a dying brand. Totally irrelevant conversation that they are not invited to have. Exploitative and sensationalist. Hope the Veronicas got paid well, actually I’m sure they are the only ones that walked away without dirt on them.
So I’m really hot and sweaty now after watching this. I need a Vodka Cruiser to cool down or poor over my crotch. Brilliant strategy. Love it, guys !!!
Stuff like this is the end
for our industry. as a woman, this makes me cringe.
So beyond the ABAC code rules – aka associating alcohol with sexual pleasure.
So fucking lame. Honestly. This is the drink for wankers? Fuck me. No, please fuck me, don’t wank me. Just terrible shit.
I’m giving 8/10
I also saw this on the gram and was waiting for the agency release, well done on getting something this big and noisey out there!
I love this. People who are saying this isn’t an issue have no idea. Powerful stuff.
Let’s all get pissed and have a solo remix?
Why did no one stop this.
So you want women to feel comfortable talking about masturbation, and the end line of the campaign is “say less”?’
I can’t really see what ‘more’ is being done here, other than some songs promoting the Veronicas?
That they’ve spelt it “ma$turbation” speaks volumes about the lack of proper thought or consultation that went into this.
The amount of emotion this is clearly evoking from readers indicates it’s probably pretty decent work.
Embarrassing for female staff. No agency.
Drinking alone is alcoholism, right?
One of the Veronicas played the Base.
A solution without a problem without a relevant link to the brand. And purpose led advertising by an RTD brand?! What a steaming pile of shizen. Anyone who thinks this is in any way good should gtf out of this business.
So good. I wish more brands used their influence in culture to help shift a conversation for women.
The brand connection couldn’t be any more clear:
Wanking and drinking Cruisers – both dirty little secrets that most people prefer not to shout from the rooftops about.
That’ll be 4 slabs of VCs cheers.
Reckon you could have shoehorned in some link to Liptember just for the final chef’s kiss
What is the main message takeout for this? What do I have to buy?
Wouldn’t this idea be a better fit for Solo lemon?
That has got to be a 2022 record.
Nice
The problem with is CUB and Eleven will say this is successful because of how much commentary it’s already getting. I’m not sure you can strategically justify this project. Really is ridicuou
Yew!
if you have an opinion on the campaign, then guess what? it worked. big ups to everyone involved, love it
My opinion is that I won’t buy Cruisers…
Normalising Masturbation in conversation is not a “female” problem. Blokes don’t stand around the BBQ talking about what a great wank they had? Why do we need to be OK talking about every single aspect of our lives? can nothing be private anymore?
So you think women (more than half from the stats above) should keep feeling ashamed when they masturbate? It’s not about telling people you’ve had a wank genius.
The whole sexxed up twincest shit the Veronicas have been playing on forever is already fucked up, but to create a campaign around these twin sisters “breaking up” so they can masturbate solo is just bloody revolting. Read between the lines people. It’s bloody gross. Shame on all. It’s not edgy, it’s exploitative.
Sounds like someone needs to release some tension. Don’t be ashamed, it’s natural and good for body and soul.
I am so confused. What the heck does going solo have to do with anything? I’ve watched the video three times now and can’t seem to find any logical link between the product and masturbation.
Also The Veronicas are in their mid 30’s. Isn’t your average Cruiser drinker a 16 year old in the outer suburbs?
Ahh well, at least the hyper wokeness is on-brand for TBWA Melbourne.
My 12 year loves these ads as they keep being targeted at her.