Gen Z hates answering phone calls. But what if there was a reward at the other end? One Aussie Gen Z-er found out that Vodka Cruiser X had a surprise waiting. The brand crashed their pre’s with Sydney-born, London-based DJ Ben Gerrans in a stunt by Supermassive and 1House.

Rather than recreate a branded club night, Vodka Cruiser X crashed the winner’s existing plans, dropping Gerrans into the kind of Friday night occasion the product was created for. The set mixed Gerrans’ fan favourite songs such as English Lad and Friction, plus a new, unreleased track, giving the winner and their mates an exclusive first listen to what’s coming next.

Behind the idea is YouGov research showing almost six in 10 Gen Z dread making or accepting a phone call, even when necessary, while 42% say an awkward phone call is among the top three things they would most like to avoid. Vodka Cruiser X flipped that behaviour by putting something worth answering on the other end.

The Pick Up, Kick Off idea rolled out across earned, organic and paid social, influencer and experiential, with Gerran’s content generating almost one million views at launch alone.

Ben Gerrans commented, “I’ve played some pretty wild shows, but turning up to someone’s door and playing just for them and their mates in their lounge was a completely different vibe. It was buzzing just like pre’s with your mates should be, everyone was right there around the decks and the energy was unreal. I also got to throw some unreleased music into the set alongside tracks people already knew, which made it even more fun. It’s not every day you get to test new music at someone’s pre’s.”

Winner from Erskineville, Gemma, picked up the all-important call, unlocking a private set. “I genuinely never answer unknown numbers, so the fact that the one time I did, it ended with a cool DJ turning up at our pre’s is pretty insane. The excitement from getting the call to Ben actually turning up was surreal. Safe to say my pre’s are going to have a lot to live up to now.”

Simone Reid, marketing manager for Vodka Cruiser, stated, “Vodka Cruiser has always understood the role it plays in how young Australians socialise. With Vodka Cruiser X designed for the start of the night, we wanted to launch it by becoming part of that occasion, and give people a genuine reason to get involved. Pick Up, Kick Off took a behaviour Gen Z usually avoids and flipped it into the thing standing between them and an unforgettable night with their mates.”

Lauren Donohoe, PR & social lead at Supermassive, added, “Unknown calls have become ignorable for Gen Z, which gave us a really simple tension to play with: what could we put on the other end that would make them desperate to pick up? Ben was the perfect answer. Rather than simply putting him in an ad, we made him the prize, the caller and ultimately part of someone’s actual night. It gave Vodka Cruiser X a way into culture that people could participate in, not just scroll past.”

Credits:
Client: Vodka Cruiser (Asahi Beverages)
Creative & Earned: Supermassive
Digital & Media: 1House 
Talent: Ben Gerrans [via OFF-MENU]