30 Years of Absolut Ads Targeting the Gay Community

Absolut, the Swedish vodka brand known for its iconic bottle advertising, is marking 30 years of ads targeting the gay community with -- what else? -- a series of ads. The $4 million buy will include this new execution, (pictured) Absolut Outrageous.

It still makes headlines when mainstream advertisers address the gay and lesbian community in ads, especially in mainstream media. Anti-gay protestors recently protested Target for advertising during Degrassi, a drama that has featured several gay storylines, on the Nick Teen channel. And the Kansas City Star believed it was worthy of a story when local jeweler Tivol & Tomorrows ran a print and billboard campaign showing two men admiring a wedding ring.

It's unremarkable stuff in this day and age, to be sure. But it was a brave move back in 1981 when Absolut, then a relatively unknown brand, first ran ads in The Advocate and After Dark, two magazines read by gay men. The Pernod Ricard brand (and its ad agency, TBWA Worldwide) is rather more in-your-face about things now: In 2008 it ran a PR campaign around the theme, "In an ABSOLUT World All Men Are Created 'Equal' and Gay Marriage Is a Celebrated Reality."

Here are 10 more Absolut ads that you may, or may not, have known were part of the gay vodka agenda.

Begin gallery of 30 years of Absolut's gay ads»

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