In a followup to its Valentine’s Day #SexResponsibly campaign about consent, Absolut Vodka is encouraging fans to be responsible with the ballot box this fall.
In the run-up to Election Day, the Pernod Ricard-owned spirit brand is urging drinkers to #VoteResponsibly—and wait to imbibe until after hitting up the polls on Nov. 3 (or before then, if early or mail-in voting is your thing).
Pernod Ricard USA also announced today that it’s giving its more than 1,000 employees a day of paid time off on Election Day to encourage workers to exercise their civic duty and encourage others to, too.
“Absolut’s always been right in the mix of cultural conversations and an instigator, to a degree, to bring people together and talk about important things,” said Pernod Ricard CMO Pam Forbus.
For the brand to use its marketing platform to encourage fans to get to the polls is a natural fit for Absolut’s personality, she added. A little over half of Americans show up to the polls on a presidential election year, and Forbus says brands can play an important role in in improving voter turnout by reducing barriers and using their platforms to encourage civic participation.
This campaign marks the biggest advertising push that Absolut has seen in quite some time—it’ll incorporate the first TV ad for the brand in three years, said Forbus, as well as some upcoming brand activations in key markets around the country. The details of those activations are under wraps for now, but Forbus mentioned that they will incorporate both physical and digital components.
“It may seem unusual for a spirits brand to so boldly say ‘drink second’ or ‘save the drink for after the vote.’ After all, we’re in the business of selling vodka,” said Regan Clarke, vp of millennial connector brands at Pernod Ricard USA, in a statement. “Our deep commitment to that purpose is evident when we are willing to encourage Americans to prioritize voting above all things—even our own product.”