V & S Vin & Sprit AB: Absolut Print campaign
Rebecca StanfelOVERVIEW
In 1981 Carillon Importers released an advertising campaign to establish an identity for Absolut Vodka, a premium vodka made in Sweden and owned by that country's government-backed monopoly V&S Vin & Sprit. At the time Absolut was unknown in the United States, and Americans were not accustomed to paying a premium for vodka. Experts in the distilled-spirits market predicted a quick death for the higher-priced product. But largely because of Absolut's innovative and tremendously popular print ad campaign, Absolut rapidly became the best-selling imported vodka in the...