Smirnoff Ice's U.S. team billed its new celebrity Halloween party as a brand first, though it already threw one in Nigeria last year.
The beverage brand hosted a Haunted-Chill Party Bus in Lagoslast Halloween, with stops across Lekki, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi.
The event drew nightlife crowds to a mobile party that ended at Monochroma.
This year, Smirnoff Ice took a different approach with comedian and creator Brittany Broski.
The brand hosted a celebrity Halloween bash in Los Angeles on October 22, with a costume contest judged by Broski.
It also included a DJ set by "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" winner Monét X Change.
The event followed the brand's announcement of a partnership spanning merchandise, original content, and seasonal activations.
"When Smirnoff Ice approached me they gave me a lot of room to be creative," Broski said in the announcement.
She added that she wrote a fake mustache and bald cap into the script, and the brand welcomed her ideas.
Smirnoff Ice's latest party also entered a competitive celebrity Halloween circuit.
The October 22 date gave the brand a nine-day jump on Heidi Klum's 25th annual Halloween party in New York.
Smirnoff Ice Takes Its Halloween Party to L.A.
The Lagos and L.A. events share a seasonal theme, but their formats differ.
The 2025 party bus brought the brand into Lagos nightlife, with multiple stops and a mobile rave format.
In 2026, Smirnoff Ice hosted a centralized celebrity event with a high-profile creator as its host.
The L.A. bash featured stars associated with "Love Island" and "RuPaul's Drag Race," alongside other influencers.
Guests also drank Smirnoff Ice and Dirty Shirleys during the event.
The wider partnership strategy gives the party a commercial role.
Smirnoff Ice launched a bottle costume for consumers and promised original content and further holiday releases.
The brand uses Broski's personality across merchandise, social content, and a live experience.
Fergus McCarthy, Smirnoff Ice director, said the brand wanted to give Broski creative freedom.
"Brittany brings this perfectly chaotic energy and undeniable charm that feels right at home with Smirnoff Ice," he said in a press release.
"Halloween is just the start, and we can't wait to show everyone what else we have planned together."
The distinction between the two events suggests Smirnoff Ice is testing different ways to connect with local nightlife and creator audiences.
Influencer partnerships give a global brand more pull when each market picks a host that its own audience already follows.
$13.5B in Halloween Spending and Creator Ads Hit New Highs
U.S. consumers are expected to spend $13.5 billion on Halloween in 2026, up from a record $13.1 billion in 2025.
The National Retail Federation's survey found that 74% of consumers plan to celebrate, while 50% expect to wear costumes.
Costume spending is also projected to reach $4.4 billion, giving brands a sizable market for Halloween merchandise and themed experiences.
Creator advertising is also attracting more brand investment.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau projected U.S. creator ad spending would reach $37 billion in 2025.
The IAB projects spending will reach $44 billion in 2026, reflecting the growing role of creators in paid media strategies.
These figures establish the market opportunity for Smirnoff Ice's Halloween push.
Three lessons stand out for brands looking to enter the space:
- Seasonal demand creates room for brand experiences. Marketers should connect events to established consumer spending to give campaigns a relevant purchase opportunity.
- Creator spending reflects a major advertising investment. Brands should set measurable targets to assess the return on creator partnerships.
- Participation does not guarantee commercial results. Teams should measure attendance, social sharing, and product purchases to justify campaign costs.
Smirnoff Ice is entering a substantial seasonal market while investing in creator-led marketing.
But campaign-specific performance data will determine whether its L.A. party delivers business value.
Our Take: Why Enter the Celebrity Halloween Race Now?
Klum's 25th annual Halloween party already has two drink brands paying to be there.
Gallo's Apothic and Heineken's Dos Equis both signed on as sponsors, with Apothic selling limited-edition wine blood bags signed by the supermodel.
Smirnoff Ice skipped Klum's sponsor line and threw its own party, with Broski as host and judge.
We'd credit Smirnoff Ice for entering the celebrity Halloween race early, since its party content gets nine days online before Klum's reveal.
Hosting also puts the full bill on Smirnoff Ice, which makes bottle costume sales and post-party reach the numbers worth watching.
If these numbers hold up, Smirnoff Ice has a Halloween franchise it can run every October on its own calendar.
The party caps a partnership we first covered when Diageo cut North American marketing spend by 13.6%.
Creator-led campaigns need a clear concept, strong production, and measurable goals.
Explore these top experiential marketing agencies to find a partner for your next live brand activation.
