Thread: Absolut Vodka Apoligizes

Saturday, April 05, 2008
Vodka Maker Apologizes for Ad Depicting Southwest as Part of Mexico
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Absolut Vodka ad depicting the southwestern U.S. as part of Mexico.



MEXICO CITY — The Absolut vodka company apologized Saturday for an ad campaign depicting the southwestern U.S. as part of Mexico amid angry calls for a boycott by U.S. consumers.

The campaign, which promotes ideal scenarios under the slogan "In an Absolut World," showed a 1830s-era map when Mexico included California, Texas and other southwestern states. Mexico still resents losing that territory in the 1848 Mexican-American War and the fight for Texas independence.

But the ads, which ran only in Mexico and have since ended, came as the United States builds up its border security amid an emotional debate over illegal immigration from their southern neighbor.

More than a dozen calls to boycott Absolut were posted on michellemalkin.com, a Web site operated by conservative columnist Michelle Malkin. The ads sparked heated comment on a half-dozen other Internet sites and blogs.

"In no way was it meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues," Absolut said in a statement left on its consumer inquiry phone line.

Some fringe U.S. groups also claim the land is rightfully part of Mexico, while extreme immigration foes argue parts of the U.S. already are being overtaken by Mexico.

"In an Absolut world, a company that produces vodka fires its entire marketing department in a desperate attempt to win back enraged North American customers after a disastrous ad campaign backfires," a person using the moniker "SalsaNChips" wrote on Malkin's Web site.

A plan for comprehensive immigration reform designed to deal with an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States — the vast majority from Mexico — collapsed last summer under the emotional weight of the debate.

Absolut said the ad was designed for a Mexican audience and intended to recall "a time which the population of Mexico might feel was more ideal."

"As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market, and for that we apologize."

Vin & Sprit, Absolut's Sweden-based parent company, will be acquired by French spirit maker Pernod Ricard SA under a deal reached last week.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,346964,00.html

Fired the entire department? yippee

Originally Posted by SarahPorter

Fired the entire department? yippee

no they didn't, that was just "salsanchips" "absolut dream" comment

As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market, and for that we apologize

They never apologized for the ad. They apologized that we did not look at it the way a Mexican would, therefore, we didn't get it. It was pure sarcasm, read it again

I dont except the apology and will now drink Grey Goose

Cayla, Thanks for the correction. I had skimmed it real quick.

Sounds like we made a dent into these folks (at least a little).

Originally Posted by SarahPorter

Cayla, Thanks for the correction. I had skimmed it real quick.

Sounds like we made a dent into these folks (at least a little).

When I first saw it on Ws post this morning, I didn't get it until I read it a second time. I broke it down there and asked if I was nuts. Everyone who commented agreed with my breakdown, so my sanity is safe for now anyway.

Wonder how the stocks of Absolut vodka company will do Monday--will all Americans with stock in the company get rid of it?

A plan for comprehensive immigration reform designed to deal with an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States — the vast majority from Mexico — collapsed last summer under the emotional weight of the debate.

Am sick and tired of hearing about how the comprehensive immigration reform 'FAILED TO PASS' or 'COLLAPSED' last year--Americans said NO and MEANT IT.

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.
Benjamin Franklin

There are a whole lot more good comments to this so called apology on this thread:

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-659610.html#659610

The campaign, which promotes ideal scenarios under the slogan "In an Absolut World," showed a 1830s-era map when Mexico included California, Texas and other southwestern states. Mexico still resents losing that territory in the 1848 Mexican-American War and the fight for Texas independence

The cat is out of the bag. Their PR dept planned to cash in on this because apparently, as far as they could determine, many in Mexico do feel this way.

Apology is nice but the damage has been done.