"As of today, giant cinema-style screens have been installed opposite platforms at Piccadilly Circus, Euston, Bank, Liverpool Street and Bond Street stations to bombard you with cutting-edge advertising intended to 'enhance' your journey.
The system, called XTP, is centrally controlled so that advertising folk can decide what you need to see at different times of the day: commute to work with Sky News, get out to lunch with the trailer for Kung-Fu Panda and go home to Sky Movies or Nestle. Clever.
Disingenously, the Marketing Director for CBS Outdoor claims that:
The launch of XTP is about entertaining the three and half million passengers using the Tube each day.
Um. No. It's about pushing advertising in the faces of a captive audience. One that can quite capably choose to zone out the tube poster ads or use them as reading material on the way home but one that would probably prefer to escape from flashing images on a digital screen for half an hour or so each day.
At least they're silent. We're thankful for small mercies."
This certainly isn't opt in. Flashy and innovative it might well be. But a good thing for commuters? Unlikely.
"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."
"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."
