Limited Edition Foods

In one of the more genius charitable marketing moves of the decade, Absolut introduced the Absolut New Orleans limited edition at the Tales of the Cocktail festival last week. The flavor is mango with a pepper kick and the bottle features a blues harmonica, but the best part for branding junkies is at least two of the charities are focused on rebuilding the Gulf Coast’s prominent and profitable nightlife and music culture. It is the perfect charitable marketing combination: an innovative idea benefitting a highly-publicized and worthy cause while simultaneously rebuilding a key market and rolling out a new brand initiative. Genius!

Press releases for the vodka credit Absolut with starting the specialty vodka trend in the United States by introducing Absolut Citron nineteen years ago, and since then its lemon-flavored version has become a cocktail staple. From lemons has flowed a flavored cascade, as the specialty vodka concept has turned from trend to floodgate. as Research reports over 200 flavored vodkas have been introduced in the U.S. in the last five years alone and sales reports show both retailers and consumers are feeling flavored vodka fatigue. With this idea, Absolut regained its position as the leader of the marketing vodka race while simultaneously drawing attention to the ongoing efforts to rebuild a still-scarred New Orleans.

Absolut New Orleans is the first Absolut vodka to be named after a city, and one hundred percent of the proceeds from the sales of its 35,000 cases will be donated to Gulf Coast charities. The bottles retail for $19 each on average, meaning that over $2 million could be sent to the New Orleans area as a result of this effort. Chosen charities cleverly include the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s efforts to rebuild homes and nightlife in New Orleans, Tipitina’s Foundation which focuses on rebuilding the region’s music culture, Volunteer Mobile, and Habitat for Humanity.

The marketing campaign for Absolut New Orleans includes a concert series, cocktails such as the Absolut Rebuilder, and the print ad above showing people flowing back into the once-evacuated city. The official launch date for Absolut New Orleans is August 1, a solemn reminder of the dark days at the end of August two years ago when the city was devestated by Hurricane Katrina.

Absolut has plans to introduce more limited edition flavors named after cities in the future, although there is no word on whether charitable contributions will be associated with those geographic tributes as well. Consumers can vote on which city should be next, and why, at Absolut.com.

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