Thread: Mexican Absolut ad crosses the line for some

Updated: 9:36 a.m.
Mexican Absolut ad crosses the line for some
Vodka maker draws on history for ad campaign, but it isn't drawing laughs here

By Deborah Bonello and Reed Johnson | TRIBUNE NEWSPAPERS
9:36 AM CDT, April 6, 2008



MEXICO CITY — The latest advertising campaign in Mexico from Swedish vodka maker Absolut seemed to push all the right buttons south of the U.S. border, but it ruffled a few feathers in El Norte.

As word of the campaign spread across the northern border, primarily on the Web, some in the United States began giving the ad a much more hostile reception.

The colorful ad, created by the TERAN/TBWA advertising agency and the vodka maker, is a sight gag depicting what a map of North America might look like "In An Absolut World," i.e., a perfect world.

It shows the Mexican border extending, very roughly, to its position during the 1800s before the Mexican-American War.

At that time, California was part of Mexican territory and known as Alta California. Those territories eventually became U.S. property following the annexation of Texas and, later, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

The advertisements ran for about two months in Mexico and previously had been scheduled to end last week.

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

On Saturday, the company apologized.

"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.

"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," the company said Saturday, according to AP.

Some advertising directors, however, commended the ad's creativity.

"I think the Absolut ad campaign is terrific. For Mexican eyes only, that is," said Manny Gonzalez, vice president and managing director of Hill Holliday Hispanic/abece, a Miami agency that focuses on the Latino market.

"This advertising basically taps into a very painful episode of Mexico's history, so the cultural code for understanding that [for Mexicans] is, 'We were robbed,' " said Eduardo Caccia, vice president of a Mexico City advertising consultancy. "For the U.S. it's different. The understanding for that episode is, 'We bought some land. We made a deal.' The same event, but with different meanings."

Los Angeles Times

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... 7417.story[/quote]


gag my foot. Now they call invasions "gags". I hope they laugh when we all pull the BOYCOTT GAG

"I think the Absolut ad campaign is terrific. For Mexican eyes only, that is," said Manny Gonzalez, vice president and managing director of Hill Holliday Hispanic/abece, a Miami agency that focuses on the Latino market.

He's an idiot that can't read.

Dixie

Duplicate Post

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-659279-.html#659279

and posted on Alipac Homepage

Originally Posted by jimpasz

Duplicate Post

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-659279-.html#659279

and posted on Alipac Homepage

sorry, they retitled the article and I didn't see it.

It's OK Cayla do it myself!!

Locking Post!