ABSOLUT IMMORTALITY

Rashmi Athlekar Roll NO. 14

Student of: Post Graduate Programme in Communications Management for Executives (PGPCMX)

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Abstract:

The Absolut Vodka advertising campaign has been running non-stop since 1981. Its been over 20 years, which in advertising, is practically forever. Industry insiders hail it as one of the most successful campaigns in the history of advertising.

It is rarely that one comes across ads which cut on the copy to focus on the visual appeal. Absolut Vodka is one such campaign. The star of the ads is always the beautiful, artful, chameleon-like bottle from Sweden. Its brilliant because it focuses on the visual to convey the message.

The Absolut ads are celebrated as much for their ingenuity as their longevity. They are full of wit, artistry, and imagination as they deftly communicate the brands values, often containing little challenges to the reader to interpret just whats happening inside the ad.

The advertising campaign has won many awards, including charter membership in the American Marketing Associations Marketing Hall of Fame. It was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992 along with just two other brands: Coca Cola and Nike. The advertising campaign was conceived by TBWA Advertising.

In the ensuing report, I am going to analyze the print ads for this brand and the role it played in shaping the destiny of ABSOLUT. I will attempt to uncover the intriguing usage of symbols and signs used to convey the message of the brand. There are a variety of themes that the agency worked on e.g. Product, Objects, Cities, Art, Holidays etc.

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Absolut Beginning:

While taking a look at the communication messages and making meaning of it, it was necessary to delve into the past of the brand (before the whole ad campaign was planned). The reason were doing this is to trace how the layers kept adding up to the brand imagery.

Absolut Vodka is a Swedish brand of vodka, produced near hus, Scania, in southern Sweden Although, it was an unrefined product, it nonetheless contained some of the worlds finest raw ingredients: pure Swedish water and rich Swedish wheat Lars Olsson Smith called the product Absolut rent branvin, Swedish for Absolut pure vodka Earlier in 1970, the Swedish government had taken control of the production and distribution of the beverage alcohol industry, including Absolut By the late 1970s, it was clear that if the distillery was to survive, Abosult would have to become an export product The brand owners in Stockholm, Vin & Spirit, knew what market they had to tap- America In the 1970s America accounted for 60% of the vodka consumed in the free world However,99% of the vodka consumed in America was produced in America and most of it was very inexpensive Conventional wisdom held that all vodkas are alike, due to the relative ease of production, the few ingredients necessary, and the fact that no aging is required, as with Scotch and other whiskeys Also, because most consumers combined their vodka with orange juice, tomato juice, tonic or any number of other mixers they didnt much care about the underlying quality of the vodka: the cheaper the better

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The remaining 1% imported vodka market in America was dominated by Stolichnaya, the Russian vodka Stolichnaya was imported since 1968 by a subsidiary of the Pepsi-Cola company as payment, in lieu of hard currency for the Pepsi sold in the Soviet Union Created specifically for export, it was good vodka, some of Russias finest, and the only Russian vodka officially exported to America Being Russian, Stoli possessed a seamless authenticity for many Americans: from the czars to the revolution to the summit meetings, vodka and Russia have long been synonymous in consumers minds Most of the vodkas made in America even have Russian sounding names: Smirnoff, Romanoff ,Georgi By 1978, Vin & Sprit was ready to test the waters. It sent a delegation to the United States The next move was to find a distributor in the US. They met reception colder than a chilled cocktail glass. "Who has ever heard of a Swedish vodka?! And it doesn't have a label; it'll disappear on the shelf. It will never sell!!" One company that didn't lack foresight was Carillion Importers Ltd. based on Manhattan.

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Absolut Info:

Absolut would be product that didnt take itself too seriously. It would be a product that could laugh at itself. Did you k now? The photoshoot of ABSOLUT bottle was a tough The customer profile of ABSOLUT- Probably out of college, starting a career, or on their first or second job, they were experiencing the nightlife, the arts, the museums that the Big City offered. The agency, TBWA, the agency, was also a very early supporter of media directed toward the gay and lesbian communities. The agency introduced this segment to the Absolut officials in the early eighties as a segment predisposed to purchasing premium products. Absolut was one of the first consumer brands to openly embrace the gay community and view its members as important and desirable consumers of its product. Its ads have appeared in gay media since 1981, and the company has long sponsored major gay events, including the 2000 fall line of Tom of Finland clothing. cookie to crack. The photographer said The bottle is like a big lens; anything put behind it is distorted and reversed. Rather than shoot the bottle in front of a black background, he chose to place a sheet of matte Plexiglas behind it, and illuminate it with a soft glow.

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Analysis of the Ads:

Theme Product Ad: These are called Product Ads because they still feature Absolut Vodka inside the actual glass bottle.

Absolut Piercing

Discourse: The subculture of the gay & punk communities in America in the late 1960s

Signifier: I. The piercing on the bottle is the signifier. The accessory shown here is symbolic of modern subculture that was gaining momentum-particularly the gay subculture. This ad was also released during the time

II. The piercing is also symbolic of a non-conformist fashion statement. Further it is symbolic of using human body as a canvas to express the freedom from the societal norms or code of conduct

Signified: Openly talking about experimenting with your body is the signification that comes through visually in the ad. This is highlighted with the effect of light in the background. It works as a limelight. In this case the bottle is no longer just a bottle, but a metaphor of the human body. The recognition of people who subscribe to the concept of being experimentative with their body is the

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subtext. The upright body language of the bottle perhaps has a direct association to the human posture & brings out the assertiveness of the person to stand up and make a statement to the world.

The ad gives them this space to voice their openness. This space then becomes their platform of self-expression. Almost as if to say, this is me & I am comfortable with myself and the way I want to experiment with my body.

The endeavor of the marketer is to no longer keep it restricted to drinking vodka but to make the bottle an icon that is relevant to them. This icon is then expected to be embraced by them.

The colour coding of a black background dramatises the way they have emerged. Gay as a phenomenon isnt new to the world & has been in existence since ancient times. The black background shows how these people may have actually come out from the darkness or the shadows which they were hiding behind to an open platform into the limelight. They can now assert their sexual preferences.

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Absolut Clarity:

Discourse: The tension in the relationship between USA & Soviet Union

Signifier: I. The magnifying glass as the object used to emphasize the name and the country from where Absolut Vodka comes

Signified: The time period in which this ad was published was around the time when the Soviet Union was particularly unpopular in the United States due to its invasion of Afghanistan and later, the downing of a Korean jetliner, this ad subtly emphasized the fact that Absolut was made in Sweden, not in Russia. It was common knowledge that Vodka was synonymous with Russia. Despite speaking of its origin from Sweden on the product itself. Most people who consumed the drink did not decode the message directly. Its the same phenomenon of how people due to sub-conscious conditioning at times fill in the gaps as they have embedded in their minds. I draw logic from the research done wherein people look at the first and the last word & are able to understand the word, irrespective of the spelling in between being right or wrong. In the same manner vodka comes from Russia was the popular belief and one would tend to take that for granted. If at all

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they were to read that this particular vodka is from Sweden, it wouldnt ever occur to them as being of that great importance, simply because in their mind the connection has already been established.

The advertiser was aware of this psychology of the consumer & hence they consciously downplayed the Sweden connection for the brand. This strategy was employed until the time was perfect to highlight the truth and the origin became the primary message to be communicated. Thus during this period of tension the Key Message delivered was on its Swedish origin.

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Theme Absolut Object : This category of ads showed the Absolut bottle not made from glass but from something else. Because the size and shape of the object resembles that of the bottle, the object represents an Absolut bottle. This was an easy thing to do considering the customer had consumed several years worth of glass bottles as a lengthy appetizer, the Absolut bottle image was firmly established in their minds, before the advertiser took the image away.

Absolut Tradition:

Discourse: Celebration of Christmas

Signifier: The iconic symbols associated with celebrating Christmas like the gifts, Christmas tree, hearth etc. The hearth is a very significant symbol as in early days fire was a symbol of the home, safety and warmth. The English took on the custom of burning the Yule log on Christmas Eve. It was considered good luck to sit on it before it was burned and it was bad luck if the fire went out quickly. After the holidays had ended (twelve days of Christmas) a piece of the log was saved to rekindle the next year's log. The silhouette of the Absolut bottle made from the toy train lends itself to the concept of the tradition of Christmas, hinting at the mythical Polar Express.

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Signified: There is a strategic placement of the silhouette of Absolut vodka bottle in the middle of the visual clich of Christmasy items. This is a diplomatic route to become one of the many icons that depict the tradition of Christmas celebration. It signifies & almost feeds the consumer with what Christmas tradition consists of The setting of a home signifies that drinking Absolut vodka to celebrate Christmas at home is part of the Christmas tradition Further there is a story being told even inside the toy train silhouette of the bottle. The setting is appears pastoral or not urbane (ref. usage of cows, Yule log kept outside the house etc.). This setting is what probably defines the imagery of how a typical American home looks like during Christmas time. It immediately talks to a socio-economic section of families

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Theme Absolut Cities: These ads are a series of cities-specific ads

Absolut Las Vegas: Published in 2003

Discourse: The idea that defines a city

Signifier: Shrimps & sauce (cap of the bottle) arranged in the shape of the Absolut bottle

Signified: The food connection of Las Vegas as a city opposed to the mental imagery that one would immediately draw for it as a Casino city This ad is tastefully done & surely breaks the visual clich of Las Vegas as a city & brings out another facet of it One would wonder why there is an almost deliberate intention to not bring out the Sin City image of Las Vegas in this Ad Having vodka without food is considered the province of amateur drinkers and alcoholics. A true connoisseur will always have something on hand to nibble after downing a glass, hence the above visual-logic would make sense. But were forced to wonder what shrimps have to do with Las Vegas? Las Vegas is about excesses This extends to shrimps which are seen as exotic food & probably invokes an elitist consumption attitude

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There is also a hint towards using Vodka to spice up food It would mean enjoying the flavour of vodka as part of food & integral to preparing a modern day, exotic dish It extends the vodka consumption habit from merely enjoying it as a drink to using it as part of an ingredient in food There is a famous Las Vegas restaurant run by an equally famous Chef Alaya. Chef Alayas specialty in the restaurant is Mandarin Soup which is made from Absolut Mandarin Vodka, fish among other ingredients The Restaurant was well known among a certain circuit of people (elite) & soon afterwards became a popular dining venue The follow-up for this ad was another ad which featured this Chef Alaya & which spoke of the uniqueness of his cooking with Absolut vodka being central to some dishes The endeavor of the marketer can be seen clearly because another facet of the city is drawn in to bring newness not only to the city but also to the consumption of vodka as a drink, as a food ingredient The shape of the bottle with the use of shrimps & the sauce at the top also represent the preparation of a dish with vodka being an ingredient or maybe just an appetizer which goes well with the drink The background of water body not only goes with the logic of the shrimp (seafood) but also adds to the essence of the word vodka. To explain this further; the appearance of the drink is not dangerous... it looks like simple water (in Russian the word vodka means "little water")

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Theme Absolut Stories: These ads are the more recent ads released in 2008. The campaign theme is In an Absolut World

In an Absolut world:

Discourse:

Signifier: The parts of the human body (male) Red roses Guitar & the tattoo on the mans hand The formal attire of the lower portion The specs The urban setting The contemporary furniture & dcor The girl reading a blueprint of the package that has arrived The Mars symbol for male on the carton The dog

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Signified: The parts of the human body (male). In todays do-it-yourself world, one can select and assemble anything that they wish to own or possess. In this ad the parts of the male body received by the female in a package and her effort to assemble it doesnt come across as odd. The reason could be the direct dig at how in the real world a perfect man would probably not exist, so one has to look beyond. Herein the undertone of the reliance on the inanimate world to fulfill what we would want in reality. The body parts are mixed in terms of the colour of the male. The face appears white, the arms again white, but peculiarly the torso is of a darker skin colour. It could be representative of a black male. The face being white still goes to show the racial undertone to the ad, wherein even today white skin is preferred automatically over black Coming to the individual body parts. The ad subtly puts across the definition of a perfect man. A perfect man is supposed to buy roses for his woman, he is supposed to be suave & work as a professional. He may have other interests such as playing the guitar. His physique has to be six pack abs. Over here maybe the use of a black male torso is used, because theyre naturally a fitter race. The chiseled body physique can be made out even from the arms. The perfection of a man is more superficial in nature & doesnt touch upon his intellect as being an expectation of a woman of a perfect man. The urban setting & contemporary furniture and dressing of the female signify the time & the age-group that the ad addresses The symbol of Mars Male on the carton reinforces the heterosexuality The dog in the ad appears to be observing the woman assembling the man. It looks kind of scared as opposed to snooping around the body parts. It signifies the confusion that the animal is in seeing a human body in this form

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Conclusion: Absolut Vodka ad campaign is undisputedly one of the big ideas in the ad industry. The evidence is that it has withstood the test of time for over 20 years. Having gone through the ad campaign over a period of time, the semiotic of the campaign is that in the initial years the bottle represented a person and his world. The current campaign is about the world & the people in it. The transition is brilliant. From the marketers point of view, today Absolut isnt just about America; its expanding its reach globally. Its no longer person specific & does not just focus on an individual & his story of belongingness or even identity. It is about the larger picture. It is the world that is today & what we perceive we want it to be like. And the world today, is definitely beyond America.

In my perspective another reason for this shift is the one-to-one to many-to-one phenomenon. To elaborate further, there is a kind of homogeneity even in the vast diversity that exists today. The homogeneity could be; a need for security from terrorism, the want of cure to a deadly virus likes Aids, etc. The agenda in the larger sense is becoming a unifying factor for countries, states, communities & individuals. The ad campaign address certain very universal issues & in that sense it is trying ot build a global campaign & a central idea of what an Absolut World would be like.

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References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_piercing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_piercing http://home.swipnet.se/~w-33318/websolut/history.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolut_Vodka http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/absolut_vodka_choir?size=_original Absolut Book- Richard W. Lewis http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/chr/symbols.html http://www.absolutads.com/gallery/reklama.php?id=429 http://rbth.rg.ru/articles/2008/01/30/vodka_companion.html

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