There are boundaries in advertising that should not be crossed. Absolut vodka crossed one, with miles of room to spare, when they concocted an ad for their consumers in Mexico. The ad shows a map of the United States and Mexico, with the international boundaries redrawn to make a large part of the southwestern U.S. a part of Mexico. And surprise, surprise, the advertising firm that created the ad, Teran/TBWA, is based in Mexico City.
According to the LA Times, (and here), Absolut has withdrawn the ad and issued an apology. An apology!? Talk about too little too late. What’s the penalty for supreme stupidity? For adding still more fuel to the border tension between the U.S. and Mexico?
Michelle Malkin first broke this story on her blog a few days ago, and we felt compelled to comment, even at the risk of giving Absolut more publicity.
It would almost be worth it for a teetotaler to start drinking, just to be able to participate in a boycott of Absolut. In lieu of that, we can only urge others to do so. By all rights, Absolut sales in the U.S. should flatline immediately. If they never sell another bottle in this country, it will be too soon.