Absolut discontinues iconic magazine ad campaign

It is a sad day for magazines. Absolut Vodka is, after 25 years and 1,500 print ads, ending its international "bottle" campaign, according to a story carried in the Globe and Mail. The liquor brand was well-known for customizing its ads to match the sensibilities of the audiences to whom it was being delivered and it was well-known for not having the usual ad agency bias against small, niche titles. I well remember their "Absolut Lola" ad in the late art-scene magazine. (You can see many of the ads in the Absolut Gallery.)

The decision to abandon the bottle campaign follows consumer research in Canada and eight other countries that found that while vodka drinkers admired the bottle campaign, it no longer provided them with enough opportunities to interact and get involved with the brand, said Nina Gillsvik, director of consumer marketing at Vin & Sprit AB, Sweden's state-run distillery.

"What we have seen is that the iconic bottle campaign - as amazing and fantastic as that campaign has been - needed to change," Ms. Gillsvik said. "Our consumers say they want interaction, they want to get inspired, they want to get involved."

She said the new campaign will illustrate life in an imagined Absolut world, where men could have babies, the moon would be a disco ball and there would be no global warming. One of the first executions to be rolled out will show an image of New York's Times Square, where the advertisements have been replaced with fine art.

"We've formed a picture of an Absolut world and we want the consumers to be invited to give their view of an Absolut world," Ms. Gillsvik said.

She said that while the bottle ads worked well in print, they were less relevant in the evolving media landscape and the new campaign will be featured in various media, including print, but also television, mobile, internet and "guerrilla activities".