Tasty Drink, Tasteless Ad
by corayiu
You would think a high-end alcohol brand like Belvedere would know better than to publicize this not-so-classy advertisement. The following image was posted to Belvedere’s official Facebook and Twitter.
Daily Mail UK, 2012 [http://www.dailymail.co.uk]
If it isn’t obvious enough, let me walk you through why this ad was taken down within an hour it was posted. First off, there is a frightened woman who seems to be struggling in the embrace of an overly happy man. Second, the text “unlike some people, Belvedere always goes down smoothly” further suggests that there is some sort of unwillingness in the woman’s behaviour. The message? Your partner may not go down on you smoothly, but Belvedere will! No Belvedere, you cannot compare a woman with an alcoholic beverage. This blatantly obvious sexual assault suggestion is not only offensive, but sends out a terrible message to consumers and promotes rape culture.
Their initial action? They tweeted an “apology” which did not state or reinsure that rape is in no way acceptable:
We apologize to any of our fans who were offended by our recent tweet. We continue to be an advocate of safe and responsible drinking.
— Belvedere Vodka (@belvederevodka) March 23, 2012
Of course, the company was criticized for their lackluster apology, so the president of the company apologized and showed that they do not condone sexual violence by donating to an anti-sexual violence organization.
Yes, Belvedere is a very smooth drink. What I don’t understand is in what way should anything relating to sexual violence ever be involved? I am no marketing or advertising genius, but I can probably think of countless other ways to promote the smoothness of a beverage than what they have done. How did the Belvedere team not see this disaster-ridden ad go up in flames?
Not so smooth after all, Belvedere.