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The quintessential campaign for Absolut Vodka has held a special place in my heart since it began in 1980 (on the cusp of my achieving legal drinking age). The first ad in the series showed an elegant bottle with a glowing halo and the headline “Absolut Perfection.” Beautifully lit and typographically pure, it was whimsical and classic at the same time.
Little did I know that the ad marked the beginning of a campaign that would successfully produce compelling ads for the next 30 years, spawning an entire culture of fan sites, merchandise, and even a traveling museum exhibit. It is so deeply engrained in our subconscious that we can identify an Absolut ad by the format alone. In fact, some ads don’t even feature the bottle itself, instead opting to leave the space where the bottle should appear blank. The “Absolut Larceny” ad for example, shows the same perfectly lit background as the original “Perfection” ad, sans bottle. In its place is a padlock and broken chain. So clever.
While the first ad caught my attention, it was the campaign’s nod to art that truly impressed me. It captured a lifestyle that I embraced, from Sunday morning crosswords to Japanese pop artist Chiho Aoshima’s colorful characters. We were in it together; it was an educated person’s campaign, making me feel hip and smart.
In addition to Chiho Aoshima, Absolut regularly had renowned artists and pop culture influencers make works for the campaign. They also created ads referencing famous artists from history. Current and past artists featured included
- Vincent Van Gogh
- Leonardo DaVinci
- Andy Warhol
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Scott Menchin
- Ross Bleckner
So yes, vodka is my favorite spirit. But here’s a dirty little secret: I prefer drinking Finlandia.
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