January 18, 2008
I had turned only the first page of my February issue of Fast Company when I encountered one of the most hideous ads I've seen in some time. It features an over-posed trio of late night boozers who have in common only an idealized notion of consumption for consumption's sake and who fail to instill in me anything but repulsion at the glazed over stupor in the eyes of the poor lad who can no longer do anything but be thankful for the friction that keeps him from sliding from the leather couch and flopping straight onto the sticky floor below the table garnished with half-eaten BLT sandwiches that probably cost as much as a fresh oyster feast at the height of Malibu's tourist season.
Which part of this scene, pray tell, should be influencing me to drink Belvedere? Is this luxury? Give me a break. What's most scary to me is the notion that maybe this ad actually appeals to some subclass of American society. Tell me no.
I'll give the ad this much: It made me rush to belvedere-vodka.com to see if the online extension of the ad is as tragic (go to "Discover Luxury Reborn"). It is. What a shame. The web site is technically sound and artistically implemented, but the video only strengthens my resolve to avoid this raunchy beverage at all cost.
In contrast, I liked the instructional videos on making martinis, even if the bartender exuded an air of pretense. Unfortunately, the poor guy on the couch in the ad never had time to master typing in high school, and never went on to understand and master basic computer skills. He'll have to wait until the instructional videos are released at blockbuster so he can view them on his PlayStation.
Mark | 5:42 am | Marketing