TBWA\Melbourne

Client: Vodka Cruiser
Product: Vodka Cruiser
Title: The Solo Project
Media: Integrated campaign
Country: Australia
Date Of Campaign: 5/9/2022

Background: Masturbation. It’s healthy, fun and normal. But in culture, it’s censored, stigmatised and silenced. It’s why more than 50% of women feel ashamed to do it. So the iconic Australian female brand, Vodka Cruiser, who have been championing female fun for over 21 years, set out to remove the shame.

Idea: Australia didn’t want to talk about masturbation, so we used something they couldn’t stop talking about – a band break up. Presenting The Solo Project, a music industry initiative that saw Australian pop royalty, The Veronicas ‘go solo’ for the first time to inspire and empower women to do the same. First, we engineered a media moment. The Veronicas wiped their official social media accounts and posted teasers of the songs on their individual social pages. This sent the internet into a meltdown as fans and media speculated on the potential breakup and the duo’s future. Then, The Veronicas each dropped a solo anthem that revealed what their solo projects were really about – female self-pleasure. Everything from the lyrics to the music videos was a celebration of masturbation. These were backed up by educational content from Australia's leading sexologist, Chantelle Otten, on reducing the stigma, and a vinyl that raised funds for female sexual health research.

Results: With 180 pieces of coverage and 700 million in PR reach, the campaign not only got Australia talking about female pleasure, it got them singing about it too. The two songs and music videos had over 3 million streams, including 1,494 spins across 36 radio stations around the country – a rarity for branded content. On top of this, both songs debuted in the top 10 national music chart with ‘Crusin’ On My Own’ taking out the #1 spot. After the campaign, The Veronicas added the songs to their official live sets, ensuring that the message continues to live on.