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Clean design: Absolut No Label, a limited-edition bottle without a logo or label, will be launched in travel retail next month |
SWEDEN. Swedish vodka brand Absolut is to introduce Absolut No Label – a limited-edition bottle without a label – in a bid to challenge prejudice against sexual minorities.
The presentation will be introduced in the duty free and travel retail market from June, with a global domestic launch following in September. The campaign is executed by Pernod Ricard Travel Retail, which handles The Absolut Company brands in the global travel retail market.
The brand’s new marketing tagline runs ‘In An Absolut World, There Are No Labels’, which is described as an initiative representing a completely new approach to LGBT marketing (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender).
“The vision from Absolut is to challenge the entire concept of labels and prejudice, in pursuit of a more diverse, vibrant and respectful world. For this purpose, Absolut introduces a unique naked bottle – one with no label, but plenty of attitude,” explained The Absolut Company Global Travel Retail Director Anders Olsson.
“For the first time we’re facing the world stark naked,” he continued. “We’re launching a bottle with no label and no logo, to manifest the idea that no matter what’s on the outside, it’s the inside that really matters. We do it in support of the people who spend their entire lives branded with labels by others. As a brand, we also question the relevance of the LGBT abbreviation in marketing.”
The limited-edition bottle has no label or logo. A discreet and easily removable sticker with a campaign manifesto encourages consumers to discard their prejudices and labels and look beyond the obvious, also directing them to the absolut.com/nolabel website, where they can learn more about labels and prejudice.
“This limited edition is extremely elegant with its clean and naked design,” said Olsson. “For us, the bottle visually manifests our belief in diversity and our standpoint when it comes to sexual minorities. With this campaign, we encourage people to think twice about their own prejudices. We have high hopes that this campaign can be quite a success among our travelling consumers.”
To avoid running a predictable ‘gay campaign’, Absolut asked a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people how they wanted to be addressed by a brand. People from all groups objected to companies thinking of them as one homogenous target group.
“There are too many marketing clichés and labels associated with the LGBT community,” said Olsson. “With this project we want to find a way around them. Targeting people solely based on their sexuality is a prejudiced approach. This initiative truly aims to bring the questionable nature of LGBT marketing and labelling out in the open.”
About Absolut in travel retail
Based in Stockholm, The Absolut Company is part of Pernod Ricard. The Absolut Company Global Travel Retail’s portfolio includes Absolut Vodka and Level Vodka. Absolut Vodka is the world’s number one selling premium vodka in duty free/travel retail, the number two spirits brand overall within the market and the fastest-growing.
Globally Absolut Vodka is the world’s fourth largest international spirit with sales through 126 markets. The Absolut Company has the worldwide responsibility for the production, marketing and commercial development of Absolut Vodka and Level Vodka.
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