Absolut Redraws Mexican Border, Angering the USPrior to 1848, much of the western United States was part of Mexico. And according to a recent ad from Absolut Vodka, it still is.
Not really, of course, but that was the implicit message in the ads, which were intended only for the Mexican market. When Americans caught wind, all hell broke loose.
In the ad, a Mexican border is imposed over California, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. The goal, says Absolut, was to symbolically return that land to Mexico, which fought to retain it in the Mexican-American War.
In response to American outrage, Absolut offered the following statement on its consumer phone line: "In no way was it meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues."
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Gee, that was ignorant of them. They should go Eastern Europe, the Middle East or Asia and suggest moving borders in their ads. I would guess the response would be less than polite.
You have to wonder what the commercial motivation might have been. Does vodka not sell in Mexico, and this was seen as a way of boosting sales? Is a company like Absolut responsible for statements like this, or can we just accept such statements as commercial campaigns, and all is fair in the name of commerce?
Your question about how other regions would have reacted is a good one. If an ad showed a country with more power and influence than Mexico encroaching on a less powerful nation, the ad would carry a very different message.