The first U.S. print advertisement to launch out of this campaign shows the flashy billboards of Time Square replaced by fine art. Other executions include a factory emitting bubbles instead of smoke and a pregnant man and his wife. ADWEEK article, 'Absolut World' Debuts, describes the ads as optimistic and cheeky. Television commercial, "Protest," shown above, depicts protesters and police officers waging a street fight with feather pillows.
Rob Smiley, creative director for the campaign explains Absolut's purpose: “The new campaign visually answers the question: what if everything in the world was a little bit more Absolut? It’s not necessarily about perfection, but about making the world better by seeing it with fresh eyes. As the story unfolds you can expect commentary on topics and ideas big and small, serious and humorous, timeless and of the moment."
"In an ABSOLUT world," is only the second campaign in Absolut's history, replacing the iconic bottle-focused, "ABSOLUT ______," which was used for 27 years. That campaign helped the brand become the best-selling imported Vodka in the U.S., and still ranks as one of the world's most successful advertising campaigns. In recent years, however, Absolut has seen their sales drop, currently ranking seventh in customer loyalty among brands of imported vodka, a figure that hasn't changed since last year. Ahead of Absolut are newer, more expensive vodkas like Ketel One and Grey Goose, made popular by their novelty and fresh marketing.
In New York Times' article, In an 'Absolut World,' a Vodka Could Use the Same Ads for More Than 25 Years, author Stuart Elliott sees the ads as Absolut's assertion that the vodka is in a class by itself -- a world of its own. This is important for the company to establish their uniqueness in the very competitive field of imported vodkas; they must separate themselves somehow, as their is very little tangible difference between most vodka spirits.
As part of the global campaign, Absolut.com has become a community where online users from around the world can share and discuss their visions of an ABSOLUT world. Through the website, online visitors can create and upload images and films, create personal profiles, and browse, rate, comment or even develop their own visions.
Absolut wants to invite consumers around the world to discuss current events and other engaging subjects. President of Absolut, Ketil Eriksen, said in a press release: "We want to inspire people to discuss and to discover the visionary within them."
Absolut is already known for their visually stimulating and creative ad executions, which will only help bring popularity to the new campaign as consumers like, appreciate and notice Absolut's clever and witty voice. "Absolut ______," was a great idea, but after 27 years most people get it -- Absolut is the Absolut Vodka. Before burning out on a great campaign, Absolut has decided to build upon what they have, use the same voice and create a bigger concept: what if everything in the world was approached the same way Absolut approaches vodka? This not only promotes the alcohol, but also sort of makes you think -- what if things were more absolute, more clear, more open? Although the ads answer no questions, they could potentially serve as a jump-off to bigger discussions (Absolut would hope through their website). One execution, printed in Greece, depicts ice cubes being dropped into the oceans of the Earth to prevent global warming (pictured below). Obviously this is not the resolution to our environmental woes, but perhaps the absurd notion of ice cubes could spark other solutions and ideas. Maybe it's not possible in this world, but in an ABSOLUT world .. who knows.
Information from the article came from ADWEEK article, 'Absolut World' Debuts, and NYTimes.com article, In an 'Absolut World,' a Vodka Could Use the Same Ads for More Than 25 Years.
Check out Absolut.com for a look at the print executions and TV spots, or to join the discussion.
