For years, Absolut Vodka was upheld as a globally iconic brand. But in recent years, the brand’s status was slipping. We were losing relevance with younger consumers who did not have the fond nostalgia from the brand’s heyday in the 80’s.

We had the lofty brief of reversing that decline and reinstating our iconic status in the cocktail market. We needed a new brand campaign that would shift perceptions and get consumers to drink more Absolut.

Our Big Idea – The Absolut World of Cocktails – ended up traveling around the globe, with over 30 markets adapting the spot. For the first time in over a decade, Absolut had created a global idea that created consistency and relevance for the brand. A key step in reestablishing our global icon status.

One of our goals with this campaign was to move from just projecting a branded image, to making a tangible impact on the world. The inclusive nature of our idea did just that. Even the actors cast in the film were deeply moved by the representation our campaign offered. On top of that, the “Born To Mix” campaign also laid a strong foundation for Absolut to continue making an impact in the world, creating more opportunities for mixing. In addition to that, there were 750+ mn impressions, with 70% reach.

To rebuild our global iconic status, we needed to take big swings. We didn’t want to create a commercial that people might overlook. We wanted to create a universe. Thus, The Absolut World of Cocktails was born.

We created a whole new world of cocktails, where each cocktail was personified based on the taste, color and occasion profile of the drink. Unlike the rest of the category, where drinks are just shown as drinks, our cocktail characters immediately stood out. They were diverse, quirky, eclectic and belonged to the Absolut world that was open, inviting, authentic and mixed. There were no stereotypes here.

This world was brought to life through both film, and photography. Each aspect of it was crafted, from casting to styling, to performance.

The process started with building a backstory for every character based on taste, color and occasion profile of the cocktail. The casting brief came from the attributes of the drinks. Each person was cast accordingly. Vojito was refreshing in her being, Madras was surprising - a Hispanic cowboy who vogues, Espresso Martini was energetic. Each cast member was surprising. We wanted to cast people who truly embraced mixing in their identity and expression. 90% of them were form the LGBTQ+ community and had never played a mainstream role.

One of our goals with this campaign was to move from just projecting a branded image, to making a tangible impact on the world. The inclusive nature of our idea did just that. Even the actors cast in the film were deeply moved by the representation our campaign offered. On top of that, the “Born To Mix” campaign also laid a strong foundation for Absolut to continue making an impact in the world, creating more opportunities for mixing. In addition to that, there were 750+ mn impressions, with 70% reach.