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Ah, nothing makes the death of brain cells go down smoother than the “all natural” moral reprieve.
Absolut, famed purveyor of vodka and pop culture references, recently announced a global advertising push for the all-natural ingredients in its fruity products.
Says a consultant, “The all-natural positioning is important. It plays into the trends that are happening in the beverage category as a whole, and fits into consumers’ needs at this time.”
Mind you, I haven’t been able to be in the same time zone as vodka since The Screwdriver Incident of Freshman Year (sorry, Mom and Dad, but that was so totally not a case of food poisoning), but does that messaging really resonate with the vodka tonic drinkers of the world?
After all, this is a product made from ethanol, the fuel for internal combustion engines. (Tasty! Can I have an extra lime with that?) Does the onset of Electric Sliding, REALLY LOUD TALKING and, oh yeah, brain impairment seem less unsettling if we can breathe a sigh of relief that, woo-hoo!, the mango flavor in the drink is all-natural?
In a similar realm, consider R.J. Reynolds-owned American Spirit cigarettes. They’re increasing in popularity because they holler “all-natural,” “organic” and “additive free.” Never mind the fact that the company openly admits that its smokes actually have HIGHER tar and nicotine levels than its less natural competitors. (It’s also odd to me that the company makes a big whoop-de-doo about its sustainable environmental practices. I mean, yay and all, but why bother making the earth a better place to live if people are going to be too busy dying of lung cancer to enjoy it? But that’s for another post.)
Lord knows we’re a culture of gluttons, pleasure seekers and general hurlers of caution to the wind when it comes to health. But do vice brands have a sustainable market for their “hey, it’ll still hurt you, but you’ll hate yourself a little less” messaging? I’m skeptical.
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