The archive · Marketing & Growth · Marketing decision · 2024–2025
Smirnoff makes Troye Sivan its fake "Chief Vibes OFFicer" — deadpan presser wins Webby
Smirnoff appoints pop star Troye Sivan to the made-up role of "Chief Vibes OFFicer" and announces it in a mock corporate press conference.
Smirnoff (Diageo)
What it had to solve
Smirnoff's "WE DO WE" platform (launched 2023 and live in 100+ countries) argues the world is better when people are together, but wanted a sharper call to action for Gen Z during a perceived "joy recession" of people stuck on phones. Alcohol marketing is tightly regulated, so the message had to travel through culture, not claims.
How it works
Smirnoff, Diageo's vodka brand, launched its "WE DO WE" platform in 2023 on the belief that the world is better when people are together. Two years in, the platform was live in more than 100 countries, but it needed a louder invitation for Gen Z — something that turned the brand's collectivist message into an actual call to action.
The answer was invented rather than discovered: give a global pop star a fake executive job. In November 2024 Smirnoff announced that GRAMMY-nominated artist Troye Sivan had joined as "Chief Vibes OFFicer" (CVO), a role the press release was legally obliged to clarify was "not a real title." The launch was a deadpan film of Sivan holding a press conference about his new duties, fielding questions from journalists, and declaring himself curator of immaculate vibes.
Why it lands
- Corporate satire gave an alcohol brand a self-aware voice that its young audience could share without feeling advertised to.
- A press conference as the format turned a routine endorsement announcement into watchable entertainment with replay value.
- Putting a pop star in a fictional C-suite let the brand borrow his fanbase and humor instead of writing its own jokes.
- Because the role was openly fake, every later installment — Vibes HQ tours, performance reviews, memos — extended one joke instead of launching new campaigns.
What it did
The launch film and campaign won both the Webby and People's Voice Award for Digital Campaign at the 2026 Webbys, and Dazed Studio calls it "one of the most successful campaigns in the brand's history." The multi-year stunt kept spawning new installments through 2025, from a Christmas "Out of Office" memo to an International Vodka Day scavenger hunt.
What you can take
A fake executive appointment, played dead straight, gives a regulated category a self-deprecating hook: satire makes a functional marketing platform feel like culture, not advertising.
Since then
The partnership ran through 2025: Smirnoff sponsored Sivan's Australia/New Zealand tour with exclusive after-parties in Melbourne and Sydney, released shareable "Out of Office" content before the holidays, and in September 2025 dropped a tongue-in-cheek "Vibes HQ" film tied to an LA briefcase scavenger hunt for International Vodka Day. The 2026 Webby for Digital Campaign (jury and People's Voice) recognized the work; Dazed Studio called it one of the most successful campaigns in the brand's history.
Sources
- "Go OFF, Queen": Why Troye Sivan Is the Perfect Chief Vibes OFFicer for Smirnoff
- Smirnoff Announces Appointment of Troye Sivan as Global 'Chief Vibes OFFicer'
- Smirnoff and Troye Sivan drop new business update from "Vibes HQ", kicking off 'Briefcase Drop' scavenger hunt for fans
- Awards season kicks off with Webby and Media Awards recognition
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