Free content distribution channels abound in the US, creating a ripe opportunity for brands to distribute work that goes beyond paid-media advertising; entertainment that audiences will love and ‘like’, and want to share and discuss. In the US’s crowded marketplace, however, branded entertainment is cropping up everywhere. Audiences have infinite choice in terms of where to direct attention. Moreover, brands’ approaches to creating branded entertainment vary widely. The old model, to which many still subscribe, is focused on developing above-the-line work, then repurposing that work by disseminating it in the social media and digital space. Absolut challenges the old model with Greyhound by creating work designed as a true music entertainment experience, tailored to live in the digital space, and capable of being repurposed for ATL. Being a liquor brand, Absolut must subscribe to The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Inc’s regulations for marketing products to adults in a responsible and appropriate manner.

German artist, Mario Wagner, created a 30 ft canvas for the ABSOLUT BLANK campaign. His design so inspired the client that they used his work as the first in a series of 'Blank Edition' bottles to support the campaign. He used a theme close to his heart - featured in much of his work: space and time travel. Mario’s exploration of these themes stem from his fascination of the subject and lifelong desire to travel to the moon.

At the time of entry, over 3m views of the video had taken place across VEVO and YouTube. Twitter exposure has continued to increase, taking the total to over 11.6m accounts (around 7% of all Twitter accounts so far). Influential posts included everyone from Perez Hilton, to Fast Company, to MTV, to the Huffington Post. The track has also reached no.1 on Beatport – the leading DJ download site.