Lately I've been doing research on Absolut Vodka and their marketing strategy. I was surprised when to learn that in the 80's, Absolut Vodka was responsible for only 2.5% of the vodka sales, and in 2017 it was coined the #1 vodka in the world, and 10.9 million cases were sold.
The brand was started by Lars Olsson Smith in 1879, and it was an interesting situation becuase the Swedish government monopolized the industry. He ended up selling his vodka outside the city limits and offered free boat rides for people to come over and buy his vodka. It was introduced into the global market 100 years after the brand was started in 1979.
In 1986, Andy Warhol focused his attention on Absolut, and was regularly wearing it as a perfume. The brand saw this and commisoned him to paint a special piece showcasing the bottle. The brand paid him $65,000, and it sparked a very successful campaign. Over 800 pieces of art showcasing the Absolut bottles were created, and it raised sales by almost 50%.
Later on, they started the #AbsolutNights campaign. They released videos showcasing what it is to have an #AbsolutNight. It motivated people to drink the vodka while they were out because thye wanted to have a night like the ones in the video, and Absoliut promised that.
Overall, Absolut has been very successful in their ad campaigns, and I think that's always going to be one of their strong suits.
