Absolut-ly Done
Absolut Vodka pulled their Reconquista ad:
The distillers of Sweden’s Absolut vodka have withdrawn an advertisement run in Mexico that angered many U.S. citizens by idealizing an early 19th century map showing chunks of the United States as Mexican.
ADVERTISEMENTThe billboard ad has the slogan “In an Absolut World” slapped over a pre-1848 map showing California, Arizona and other U.S. states as Mexican territory. Those states were carved out of what had been Mexican lands until that year.
Although it was not shown in the United States, U.S. media outlets picked up on the ad, and after a barrage of complaints, Absolut’s maker said on Sunday the ad campaign would cease.
I haven’t harped on it. I leave that to Michelle Malkin and her crew.
Four points I do want to make. First, Absolute and the ad agency, Teran/TBWA, might have probably gotten away with the ad if “In an Absolut World” was in Spanish. I say “might” because the company and agency forgot we live in a highly connected world. Advertising in a “local” market can spill across borders.
Second, in the AP story one of the Absolt boycotters went so far as to “have poured the remainder of my Absolut bottles down the sink.” That makes no sense. The bottle was already purchased. The only one worse off was the goof who did the pouring.
Third, I don’t feel strongly about Absolut’s gaffe to boycott them myself. I rarely drink top-shelf vodka. If I were to boycott Absolut it wouldn’t me much of a burden since there’s plenty of comparable brands.
Fourth, for a brand that wants to connect with their consumers not just sell them vodka Absolut is failing miserably to connect with conservative drinkers.
“Absolut Vodka Pulls Ad Showing California in Mexico”
UPDATE: Lance Burri puts this flame up in its proper perspective:
Whether the ad actually means anything…well, that is a question. What’s going to happen, exactly? More Mexicans will cross illegally into the U.S.? Mexico will invade? The American Southwest as Britain’s Falkland Islands?
Because of a vodka ad?
As Margaret Thatcher is reputed to have said at some point during the brief Falklands War of 1982: not bloody likely.
The ad was insulting, because it presents an assumption of American wrongness. That’s how I interpreted it, anyway. But that’s it. There’s nothing more to it.
Heh. I like the phrase “conservative drinkers.” It sounds like someone who has one drink every two weeks or something.