To kick off the initiative, Smirnoff booked female DJs, each of whom feature on the 'Top 50 Women Making Noise' list, to play electronic gigs yesterday (8 March) in celebration of International Women's Day. In the United States and United Kingdom, the Black Madonna performed in celebration of the brand's push for inclusivity. Similar events are set to take place in Germany, Thailand and Latin America.
According to research conducted by Vice's electronic music Thump, women only made up an average 17% of headliners in 2016 at music festivals around the world. The 'Equalizing Music' initiative aims to increase this figure substantially by the year 2020.
The brand has teamed up with Thump, Broadly and Spotify to launch a new platform that will generate exposure of women who are equalizing electronic music. Smirnoff has also encouraged industry leaders to sign a pledge and will be releasing a new documentary titled 'Smirnoff: Equalizing Music'. This intends to amplify the voices of women by sharing the stories of two electronic music DJs – The Black Madonna from the United States and DJ Rachael from Uganda.
Syl Saller, Diageo's chief marketing officer, said: "We believe that our brands should have a purpose greater than just amazing drinks, and Smirnoff brand’s purpose is to move the world to be inclusive. We believe we can make a difference by using our presence in electronic music culture to drive diversity within the community. By 2020, Smirnoff aims to make a difference by doubling the number of women headliners and this mission requires music fans and industry leaders to work together to achieve this bold goal."
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