User talk:MikeSa247

In the advertising world, campaigns can change as often as every year. This ensures that the branding of products remains up to date. However, this is not true with Absolute Vodka. Its advertising campaigns have been running nonstop for the last twenty-six years. The longevity of the  branding has much to do with its ingenious marketing strategies. The Absolute advertisements ensure that its viewers are “challenged, entertained, tickled, inspired, and maybe even befuddled as they are trying to figure out what is happening inside an Absolute Ad” (Lewis XI). The Absolute advertisements have been the main motive behind the success of the product. Its ads have effectively notified the world of the greatness of this product. This has been achieved through the establishment of various identities for the Absolute bottle. These identities are based on themes that are consistently varied to keep the ads from getting stale. For example in 1987 a theme that has been used in the Absolute campaign has been Absolute Cities. In this case the Absolute bottle assumes the identity of various aspects of Cities across America. The slogan in these ads and in all the rest, always include the word Absolute and ends with a word that defines the environment that the Absolute bottle is placed in. In the Absolute Cities theme there have been Absolute Chicago, San Francisco, LA, Hollywood etc. ads that are all very clever, and beautifully composed. For instance in the Absolute Chicago ad the bottle is beautifully placed in the center of the page, with its letters being blown out. Hence, the bottle implies the identity of Chicago, because it is a windy city. The Absolute Vodka ads are very much like a puzzle. They have a slogan that hints at the identity of the bottle and, the viewers’ job is to figure out the relationship between the slogan and the image. In some cases the ads are very easy to understand, but in others a bit of knowledge is required to fully realize what the ad is communicating. The direct messages within these ads are usually directed to a wider audience, however less obvious ideas are narrowed down to a specific people. For example in the Absolute Art theme used in the mid 1980s the ads were aimed at a more sophisticated crowd who were aware of important artist of the time. In these ads famous artists like Warhol, Scharf, Ruscha etc created their version of the Absolute ad in their own personal style. In 1985 Andy Warhol was the first artist commissioned to create his version of the Absolute ad. His vision looked like a Xerox copy of an Absolute bottle that had been ornamented with various colors to create a more dynamic experience for the viewer. Warhol did not use the entire profile of the Absolute bottle in this ad. Instead he cropped the image of the product to only show the upper shape with the name of the product and logo. It is important to understand that Absolute Ads are a form of art. This is the reasoning behind their success. They are carefully composed, and do not overwhelm the consumer with their message. It has been twenty-six years and these ads are still going strong. Their subtlety, great concepts, variety, and beautiful aesthetic has kept them so compelling, and pleasant to look at. Not many people dare to overlook an Absolute ad. There is simply too much to loose.

Bibliography

1. Camnitzer, Luis. “Absolute Art.” Art Nexus Jen 1997. no24 60-2 2. Hamilton, Carl Absolute: Bibliography of a Bottle. New York/London. Texere. 1994 1. Lewis, Richard. Absolute Book. Boston: Journey Editions. 1996 hamilton, Carl 2. Silberman, Vanessa. “Absolut-ly Fabulous.” Art Business News 2000: no9 S 3. Vickers, Graham. “Retentive Memories.” Creative Reviews. March 1998: 18 57