Drink, Dance, Love with Smirnoff

By Sara Kay

Smirnoff takes their message of inclusivity to the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas.

The electronic music movement has a bit of an interesting reputation. The appreciation of the music can be entirely up to interpretation, and the unbelievable outfits that people show up in to these multi-day festivals can vary from fairly tame to completely off the map. The festivals are loud, crowded, sweaty, and occasionally dangerous, with many attendees not remembering the importance of hydration in the dog days of summer. From the outside looking in, this lifestyle seems a bit outlandish. But the beauty of it is that if you are on the outside, you are more than welcome to come on in and see for yourself.

If you’re already inside, you know that to your left and your right is someone who doesn’t look anything like you, doesn’t sound like you, doesn’t believe in what you believe in, but that’s okay. Electronic music pushes a message of inclusivity, love and acceptance, and during the 2016 Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas, Nevada, Smirnoff took advantage of this message of love with the U.S. launch of the Smirnoff House. Smirnoff isn’t the first liquor brand to join the EDM bandwagon, and with any luck, they won’t be the last either.

electric daisy carnival fireworks

Located in central area of the festival this year, the Smirnoff House certainly had their fair share of cocktails for LDA festival-goers who wanted a tipple or two during DJ sets. However, the cocktails acted as more of a side note; attendees made their way to the house to listen to the DJs that make up the Smirnoff Sound Collective, a group of artists who are working with Smirnoff to tell a story of inclusivity and respect within music culture. Jim Sias, Director of Influencer and Advocacy for Smirnoff, helped to make sure that the Smirnoff House was a beacon of this message all weekend long.

“The Smirnoff House is a place where everyone is invited. Smirnoff’s brands stand for inclusivity, and we believe good times are even better when everyone is invited. It’s about celebrating people’s differences and letting everyone be a part of the party.”
– Jim Sias, Director of Influencer and Advocacy for Smirnoff

electric daisy carnival house

Markus Schulz, one of hundreds of DJs that were on the lineup for EDC 2016, has been a regular at the festival since it’s inception in 2011, and looks forward to an event that he describes as one of the most important in the calendar year of a DJ. As a participant in this year’s festivities, Schulz fits in well with the Smirnoff message of community and understanding.

electric daisy carnival dj spinning electric daisy carnival dj spinning

“Positivity is something I have tried to convey continuously through my recent artist album Watch the World – to write words that curate towards stories – messages which are important for the people in our scene and those that bind us together. It is the passion of the fans that make the festival as special as it is.”
– DJ Markus Schulz

electric daisy carnival wedding chapel

In addition to the weekend-long presence of the Smirnoff House, Smirnoff took their message of love and inclusivity a step further by sponsoring one of the first same-sex marriages at the Electronic Daisy Carnival, and the first same-sex marriage to be streamed live via Facebook Live. The two grooms, Chris and Skye, tied the knot in front of friends, loved ones and thousands of festival attendees as the bass thumped and the dancing never stopped. After the wedding, which took place in a chapel just to the right of one of the main stages, guests were invited to the Smirnoff House for the wedding reception.

electric daisy carnival chris and skye, couple

“Chris and Skye’s wedding speaks to our message about inclusivity, and with the recent events that have gone on in this country, it’s important we spread some love.”

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