Invitation to skive and sip hits the spot

By IRENE CHAPPLE

Enthusiasm for taking a half-day off to indulge in a little Smirnoff vodka is growing.

"Why not?" said Auckland accountant Kane Norton, who had not yet asked his boss if he could leave after lunch tomorrow. "Any excuse to have a good time."

Norton hoped to head off to College Hill's Cavalier Tavern, one of 200 official Half Day Off bars, where he can redeem a $25 bar tab won on the campaign's website.

His plans were made in response to Smirnoff's advertising campaign, created by WRC.

Norton said that while the bar tab encouraged him to take a half-day off, he probably would have skived off early anyway.

"Things are usually pretty lax on a Friday afternoon."

Olivia Martin, a nanny who participated in the inaugural Smirnoff Half Day Off last year, was keen to leave her work about 1pm tomorrow.

She did have any creative excuses last year - she simply told her boss she would be heading off halfway through the day.

Care for four children had to be rearranged, but her bosses were happy for Martin to do it again.

Martin "had a blast last year" and was looking forward to tomorrow, despite not winning a bar tab.

"The fact that Smirnoff decided to do this ... any excuse," she said.

"It encourages people when you've got bar tabs and have to use them on the day. People make time for it."

Martin said she was likely to end up at the Safari Lounge in Ponsonby with about six other friends, and could not wait for one of those "drinks with ginger beer and lime and fresh mint and vodka ... or the good old vodka and orange."

Since the first Half Day Off campaign, Martin has favoured Smirnoff vodka over its competitors.

"It does make me want to drink it more," she said.

"I will support Smirnoff because of [the promotion]. It's such a good idea."

Martin and Norton are two of more than 18,000 people - 4000 more than last year - who have registered to spend a halfday break in a bar.

The campaign website has attracted more than 10 million hits, 1.5 million more than last year.

Campaign artwork plays on the OFF in Smirnoff, using lines such as "Party Your Ass OFF" and "Rock Your Socks OFF".

Along with billboard advertising, this year's campaign message went out as text messaging, radio and internet advertising, and email marketing.

The initial campaign won an extraordinary collection of creative accolades, including Miami's Globe Awards Grand Prix and a Gold Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival.

Smirnoff sales rose 35 per cent during the campaign and, said WRC, people from Japan and Switzerland registered for the Half Day Off.

Michaela Dumper, managing director at New Zealand Wines and Spirits, called this year's response phenomenal and said tomorrow's event would eclipse the first.