MAKING A MARKETING
MASTERPIECE
A unique product deserves exceptional marketing and since it was founded, ABSOLUT Vodka has been in a class of its own. Philip Yorke talked to Absolut’s vice-president of global marketing, Jonas Tahlin, about the launch of its ‘UNIQUE’ marketing campaign and its new luxury Vodka: ABSOLUT ELYX.
T
he Absolut Company of Sweden became a wholly owned subsidiary of the PernodRicard Group in 2008 and has the worldwide responsibility for the production, innovation and strategic marketing of Absolut Vodka, as well as for other major global brands such as Malibu, Kahlúa, Wyborowa, Luksusowa and Frïs. Absolut is the world’s fourth largest premium spirit brand and every bottle is produced at its state-of-the-art production facility in Ahus in southern Sweden. The Pernod-Ricard group is one of the most successful drinks companies in the world and in 2012 generated sales of almost €5 billion. Today Absolut employs over 300 people at its production plant in Ahus, with a further 150 engaged at its head office in Stockholm. The production statistics are staggering: every day more than 600,000 bottles 148 Industry Europe
of Absolut are produced and in 2011 more than 11 million 9 litre cases containing over 100 million litres of Absolut Vodka left the Ahus plant. The water used for the manufacture of ABSOLUT VODKA comes from northern Europe’s largest natural spring in Ahus and has filtered through the earth for more than 40,000 years.
‘Limited-edition’ concept In keeping with its long traditions and association with contemporary art, Absolut recently embarked upon a unique marketing challenge. The goal was to make a limited edition of nearly 4 million bottles, each a unique work of art. Every special bottle of ABSOLUT VODKA therefore had to be uniquely designed and numbered to make each one as individual as the customers
that they serve. Not surprisingly this daring marketing campaign was called ‘ABSOLUT UNIQUE’. In order to achieve its objectives the company had to re-engineer its entire production line, which required a complex interaction between human and mechanical elements. Furthermore, a carefully orchestrated randomness had to be introduced to achieve the desired end result. Splash guns and special colour-generating machines were set up, and complex coating, pattern and placement algorithms were programmed in to ensure that no two bottles would be alike. In total over forty different colours were used during manufacturing and this was in addition to 51pattern types applied to the bottles. Mr Tahlin said, “The result was even better than we anticipated. When the bottles
