I RATE ADS

sjbooher: Here is a more traditional ad, that is part of this campaign. Taken by itself, I think it is only average, but it is a nice piece of the viral puzzle.

sjbooher: Hilarious. I love this on every comedic level. My favorite part is when Kanye says, “That was awesome”. This viral campaign also has an accompanying website, where the shenanigans continue. I love the rollover trick with the bald white guy. Of course, though, I have to complain about the advertising portion of this. It’s for Absolut, but for what, exactly? And is that infomercial going to air on TV? Will anyone know about this? How far are they going to take it? Until some of those questions are answered, I’ll go with B-.

jtherkal: Part of me wants to not like it, but I can’t help it. Pretty great. I think even though the initial branding of Absolut isn’t clear, the after-effect is going to be strong. People will notice this, be a part of it, and it should create a buzz for Absolut. I love the part when he asks, “How many times have you told yourself, I feel famous and powerful on the inside, but nobody sees it that way on the outside” and the answer “300 TIMES!” flashes on the screen. Also, the Be Kanye quiz on the website–where you can’t even answer any questions–is good. There is part of me that wonders, what happened to the famous, iconic Absolut advertising? But most of me just likes it. A-.

sjbooher: Controversy! This ad has the internet blowing up, as surly red-staters get all in a huff about Mexico/U.S. relations, illegal immigration, etc. And controversy sells, right? Well, maybe. This ad was originally run in only Mexico, where it was probably well received. 20 years ago it could have been marked as an advertising success, and everyone would go on with their lives. But in this digital age, no image is safe from instantaneous worldwide transmission. As a result, this could in fact hurt Absolut’s sales in the good ol’ U S of A, where there is a segment of society that this ad will really piss off. Will the good outweigh the bad? I don’t know, but the fact that there is a bad, hurts the grade of an otherwise provocative ad. B-.

jtherkal: Is Absolut’s target audience the type of person this ad would piss off? Seems to me the people who would get fired up about this are more Smirnoff and Popov drinkers. They don’t need no fancy, fruity vodka drinks. In the end, I’m not from Mexico, so I can’t say I’m a big fan. I guess if they want Texas, they can have it. But we’re keeping California. C.

Update: Absolut issues apology over the ad.

jtherkal update: Absolut, a bunch of pussies.

“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. Ummmm…seems like it definitely lends support to an anti-American sentiment. And they have a right to do so. There’s no rule that says advertising in other countries can’t make fun of America. I mean, our advertising would never, ever play on a negative stereotype of, say, a Mexican…