Icing is a drinking game in which an individual or a group of individuals are forced to drink a bottle of Smirnoff Ice. The game has been featured on CNN Money/Fortune[1], and ridiculed by Cracked.[2]
Participants are encouraged to come up with elaborate ways to present the Smirnoff Ice to their targets by hiding bottles in inconspicuous locations, or in situations where drinking it would be dangerous or embarrassing (e.g. before they drive somewhere, attend a meeting, etc). Failure to drink, no matter the circumstance, results in the humiliation of the victim, and players are encouraged to mistreat those who refuse to play.[2] In a June 2010 article, The New York Times reported speculation that the game had originated at either St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York or at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, while other news sources including CNN and NBC suggest the game has southern roots at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina and Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.[3]
The game has two rules:[3]
1. When presented with a Smirnoff Ice the target must drink it while kneeling. This is referred to as "getting iced".
2. When getting iced, a target can present their own Smirnoff Ice (a "shield") to cause the original initiator to be "iced" instead. This is referred to as an "Ice Block".
It is not possible to Ice Block an Ice Block, so if a party attempts an Ice but is instead Ice Blocked, they cannot block again with a second Ice. This prevents situations where potentially infinite Blocking and re-Blocking can occur if parties have a big enough supply of Smirnoff Ice. As a result, more emphasis is placed on Icing strategy, rather than having the biggest supply of Smirnoff Ice.
Icing, which has been described by The New York Times as "the nation's biggest viral drinking game"[3] grew in popularity shortly after the appearance of the website BrosIcingBros.com began to appear in May 2010.[4] The game has featured some notable victims, including rappers Coolio and Dub P and Dustin Diamond. The goal of an online marketing campaign is to make Ashton Kutcher an Icing victim.[3]
There has been some doubt over whether this is an organic phenomenon or if it is merely a marketing stunt by Smirnoff. While Smirnoff has denied any involvement in the game, skeptics still exist. According to some Smirnoff may be in a position where they would want to deny responsibility. Advertising executive Dick Martin has opined "Beyond the implicit slur on the beverages taste, I doubt any alcoholic beverage company would want to be associated with a drinking game that stretches the boundaries of good taste and common sense like this one does". The viral spread of the game has seen a boost in sales for the company.[3] Smirnoff insists that the game is "consumer-generated" and reminded the public to drink responsibly.[3]
