The Publicis Dialog Beam team has Moved to Notorious Beam Team
Friday, 1 August 2008
Absolut LA Feedback isn't so good!
Absolut's new LA falvour launch is getting a fair amount of coverage from trend spotting sites... but some of the comments by the public aren't so positive.
Have a look at some of these remarks from Current.
Inspired by Los Angeles, so does that mean it's going to taste phony, desperate, will talk on and on about how it has something in development at a BIG studio, and is only going to be interested in me if I can do something for it?
they forgot to add botox and collagen to the product's flavor description.
Tastes like LA, Burns like a California wildfire.
It should really taste like Cigarretes, cocaine and a hint of meth, with hot peppers and maybe alcohol on it.
Whilst they aren't glowing... some are quite witty and none of them are negatively directed at Absolut. It all adds to tease our collective curiosity. And it is completely in line with the "spoofability" that Absolut's marketing has been famous for over the years.
Maybe the soundtrack to this campaign should be the Bran Van 3000 song: "Drinking in LA"
"Starting today, everyone can have a taste of the LA lifestyle as the world's most iconic vodka introduces ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES, a limited-edition, city-inspired flavor honoring the City of Angels. Celebrating the city's trend-forward ideals, the bold, new flavor is made with an all-natural symphony of blueberry, acai berry, acerola cherry, and fruity notes of pomegranate. ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES will be available beginning in July at bars, restaurants, nightclubs and retailers nationwide.
"Through our 'In An ABSOLUT World' campaign, we challenge consumers to imagine their own ideal, and Los Angeles is one of the most idealistic places on earth," said Tim Murphy, Vice President of Marketing, The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc. "For this city-inspired flavor, we wanted to capture the opportunity that LA represents to so many - reaching for the stars and recognizing their dreams. ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES will evoke an inimitable new 'taste' that honors all the attributes that makes the City of Angels so exclusive and awe-inspiring - from the stunning packaging to the unique flavor profile, all wrapped inside the iconic ABSOLUT bottle."
"Anyone who has walked along the Hollywood Walk of Fame lately knows that certain stars have definitely seen better days. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has taken a new approach to raising funds to restore the Walk. They have created the Friends of the Walk of Fame initiative to restore the Walk of Fame before its 50th anniversary in two years and they've hooked their first big sponsor, Absolut Vodka.
Sponsors won't get an official star but according to the press release "sizable donations from corporate supporters will be acknowledged with a Friend of the Walk of Fame honorary star" which is described as a "new terrazzo piece that will be placed in the sidewalk, on private property, adjacent to the Walk of Fame." The Chamber presented Absolut with the first honorary star which will be located near the entrance to the Kodak Theatre, part of Hollywood & Highland Center on Hollywood Boulevard.
Certainly corporate sponsors are a familiar sight on baseball fields and other public landmarks but the LA Times reports that the news of Absolut's pseudo star isn't sitting well with everyone. Some see it as an affront to the tradition of honoring Los Angeles luminaries with their own piece of sidewalk space.
Absolut is also launching a new flavor, Absolut LA, a mix of "blueberry, acai berry, acerola cherry, and fruity notes of pomegranate" which will be available this month."
I wonder what city will come next after LA... maybe they will do a competition where you can submit your ideas for what your favourite city tastes like. e.g. London: the smell of rain on hot tarmac, or Birmingham: the taste of vindaloo.
I am sure we will see plenty more activity around this. The PR has only just begun.
"Absolut is running an ad in Mexico that some in this country are finding offensive because it favorably depicts our borders as they existed before the 1848 Mexican-American war. We're going to bite and talk about the ad even though it means that the advertisers win and America dies just a bit more.
The campaign taps into the national pride of Mexicans, according to Favio Ucedo, creative director of leading Latino advertising agency Grupo Gallegos in the U.S.
Ucedo, who is from Argentina, said: "Mexicans talk about how the Americans stole their land, so this is their way of reclaiming it. It's very relevant and the Mexicans will love the idea."
But he said that were the campaign to run in the United States, it might fall flat.
"Many people aren't going to understand it here. Americans in the East and the North or in the center of the county — I don't know if they know much about the history.
"Probably Americans in Texas and California understand perfectly and I don't know how they'd take it."
Meanwhile, the campaign has been circulating on the blogs and generating strong responses from people north of the border.
"I find this ad deeply offensive, and needlessly divisive. I will now make a point of drinking other brands. And 'vodka and tonic' is my drink," said one visitor, called New Yorker, on MexicoReporter.com.
Reader Paul Green goes into a discussion on the blog Gateway Pundit of whether the U.S. territories ever belonged to Mexico in the first place, and the News12 Long island site invited people to boycott Absolut, with one user, called LivingSmall, writing: "If you drink Absolut vodka, you can voice your approval or disapproval of this advertising campaign with your purchases. I know I will be switching to Grey Goose or Stoli and will never have another bottle of Absolut in my house.
Um, honestly, we didn't pick up the history thing at first glance. We heard it was running in Mexico and immediately understood the intrinsic appeal. As far as we can tell, it's cute and funny and will obviously incite hordes of Mexicans to race north against earthquakes to reclaim our once-picturesque frontier. Watch out, Alta Californians!"
People are certainly talking about it! You can vote on whether you think it's cool or crap or not worth bothering about here. But if you think it's not worth bothering about you might want to consider contradicting yourself by voting!
For what seems like a fairly comprehensive collection of Absolut's new range of ads click here.
"Not so long ago it was all about its iconic bottle. In Absolut vodka's new campaign breaking this week, however, fruit will take center stage.
Dubbed "Streams," the new TV and print campaign, from TBWA\Chiat\Day, New York, plays up the all-natural ingredients in the Swedish brand's nine flavored vodkas. In he ads, colorful streams flow by pears, mandarin oranges, peaches, lemons and other featured fruits. Tagline: "True Taste Comes Naturally."
"The campaign is designed to showcase the real fruit flavor inherent in all of our flavored vodkas," said Ian Crystal, brand director, in a statement. "We've noticed that the cocktail community has followed our lead by trending towards the use of fresh ingredients as well, and Absolut represents what flavored vodka is supposed to be."
The print campaign breaks this week. The TV spots begin airing March 10 on FX, E!, Spike, A&E, Comedy Central and Logo. An international version of the campaign, dubbed "Dissection," launches in the spring with TV and in-cinema spots appearing in Germany, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
"With the launch of 'Streams' and 'Dissection,' our creative goal was to differentiate the brand further from the competition," said Rob Smiley, group creative director at TBWA\Chiat\Day, in a statement. "The creative is visually striking and bold, emphasizing the truly natural ingredients consumers can expect when drinking Absolut, and clarifying the rational benefits [to the consumer]."
Campaign spending was not revealed. In 2006, Absolut spent $25 million on measured media in the U.S. and $20 million through November 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
The brand is currently up for sale, to the reported tune of more than $6 billion. Bacardi, Fortune Brands and Bacardi are among those vying for the prize. Diageo had also been in the running, but dropped out late last week, when it purchased Ketel One for $900 million."
"Absolut New Orleans “the flavor of inspiration” - apparently Absolut (insert city name here) is no longer just an ad you see, but they are now becoming real liquors of their own. The limited edition Absolut New Orleans is a fruity mango vodka with a spicy black pepper kick (sounds yummy, must find some!). 100% of the profits from this product are donated to various Gulf Region charities. Yesterday, at Tales of the Cocktail, the annual New Orleans culinary and cocktail festival, this special flavor was officially announced. You can even go vote for the next city (i vote LA)."
Always doing something newsworthy, interesting and fun aren't they!
"I spent last few weeks in hospital so I was not able to update AbsolutAds.com. But there was nothing special anyway. Until yesterday. Absolut Vodka announced new campaign called “In an Absolut World”. Read more in their press release:
ABSOLUT VODKA announced its next groundbreaking global advertising campaign titled “In an ABSOLUT World.” The new advertising challenges the status quo by presenting a bold and optimistic world view. The global launch is supported by a fully-integrated marketing campaign, including print, broadcast, out-of-home, public relations, on-premise promotions and viral activity. Created by TBWA/Chiat/Day/New York, the campaign will break in the U.S during the week of May 15 with a broadcast spot and print executions in June weeklies.
The global campaign will also roll out in 12 international markets this year, beginning with a broadcast execution titled “Disco Moon” in Germany on April 27. Additionally, the campaign will be complemented with executions tailored to their niche market consumers along with an interactive experience at ABSOLUT.com.
“In an ABSOLUT World” is a powerful campaign that provides a rich framework for the ABSOLUT brand that builds on the foundation established by ‘The Absolutes’ campaign last year. Our consumers are intelligent, and we hope they have a gut reaction that sparks conversations and challenges them to think about their vision of an “ABSOLUT World,” says Tim Murphy, Senior Brand Director, The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.
The first U.S. broadcast spot, titled “Protest” depicts an epic scene that opens with a tense standoff between protesters and police. As the clash ensues, the viewers witness a massive, friendly pillow fight — demonstrating an alternate way to resolve conflicts. Filmed in Uruguay by Director Frederik Bond and Director of Photography Guillermo Navarro — an Academy(R) Award winning Cinematographer — this production was the largest in the country’s history.
The first U.S. print advertisement to launch is a photo of Times Square with iconic works of art installed in lieu of advertising. Other print executions include a factory emitting harmless bubbles instead of smoke, a pregnant man with his wife at a cocktail party and a bar scene where people wear buttons labeling their dating status and mindset.
“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,” said Rob Smiley, Creative Director at TBWA/Chiat/Day/New York.
The new campaign also includes an industry-leading social responsibility broadcast spot. Titled “Taxi,” the spot illustrates a young couple exiting a club. As they press the key fob, instead of unlocking their car it signals a taxi, suggesting that in an “ABSOLUT World” people would always call a cab or use a designated driver after they drink. “The campaign speaks to consumers on multiple levels. The topics range in scale and tone but use the same clever voice ABSOLUT has used for more than 25 years,” adds Murphy.
“In an ABSOLUT World” will also be supported by viral elements that will bring the idea to life for consumers. On May 14, ABSOLUT will begin a week of guerrilla activities in New York that will make the city a better place for one week. Consumer activities include rickshaw rides in Soho and the Meatpacking District, music downloads in Union Square, Metro Card giveaways and VIP treatment at select downtown restaurants and clubs, all compliments of ABSOLUT.
The campaign will continue this summer with customized out-of-home executions in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas and Chicago that speak directly to these geographic communities."
"Singapore Changi Airport and DFS Singapore will be the location for the debut of the new Absolut 100 premium vodka this month before the brand is offered elsewhere.
“The world premiere will be held at Changi airport in Singapore in March,” says Anders Olsson. “We will then roll out the launch of ABSOLUT 100 worldwide throughout 2007, executed by MAXXIUM Global Travel Retail, who handles the V&S brands in [the] global duty free and travel retail market. We are convinced that the market will be as excited about this new product and concept as we are at ABSOLUT.”
ABSOLUT 100 is the first ever ABSOLUT product to be initially developed and launched exclusively for the global duty free and travel retail market.
The company says: “We have created the unique qualities of ABSOLUT 100 by adjusting our production processes in order to achieve a smoother high proof vodka. ABSOLUT 100 is rich and full bodied. The taste is distinct, yet smooth and mellow, with a grainy character and notes of dried fruit. The stylishly rustic, masculine qualities of ABSOLUT 100 are emphasized in the tough, no-nonsense design concept and imaging, based on a bold minimalistic colour palette of opaque black, chrome silver and subdued grey.”
The launch of ABSOLUT 100 will be supported by a tailored marketing campaign in the duty free and travel retail market. ABSOLUT 100 will then be sold exclusively in travel retail/duty free outlets worldwide. During the introductory phase of the launch, ABSOLUT 100 will only be available in 100cl bottles."
"Next in the ever growing family of Absolut fruit flavors… PEAR. And this time they are selling it with some gorgeous videos of things being blown up… from apples, espressos, watches, donuts and more… (see videos below). Apparently this is the Absolut Temptation."
What's really cute about this is the way they provide bloggers with all the tools required to make this go mega viral.
One of the other cool things is the way the let you create your own temptation video... I'm sure this could get a lot more sordid!
Another great way of showing what a brand's global website can do as well as highlighting that spirits drinkers, shock horror, do use the internet. I think this would have been better had Absolut let go a little bit more. But I guess with booze it's normally safety first.
