Christina’s Common Sense

If you saw this picture on a billboard what would you think? You’d probably think Absolut Vodka was saying that a perfect world would be one in which a good chunk of America belonged to Mexico (and unofficially, they’ve got their wish). If you thought that, your humble blogger would agree with you. And although Absolut hasn’t stated that officially, it’s kind of hard to see what else they’re trying to say.

The ad, which ran in Mexico, has now been pulled because some Americans became indignant over the insinuation that their country would be better off run by a land whose main export is criminaliens to the United States. Some immigration hawks have started a movement to boycott Absolut products.

If you’re hopping aboard this bandwagon (and if I were a Vodka fan, I’d be right with you), don’t kid yourself—a boycott of Absolut won’t ruin the company. However, it could make them sweat. And it should. That ad encourages and endorses illegal activity against a country that probably represents a good deal of Absolut’s customer base. It also shows Absolut’s advertising department to be ignorant about their job. It’s a bad idea to insult your customers. Maybe next time they feel like turning their advertisements into a political statement, they’ll remember that.