Pernod Ricard USA has a message for the citizens of the United States: Go vote. The company is so committed to the upcoming election that they are closing their offices and shifting manufacturing schedules on Election Day so that all employees in the United States will have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.
As election night comes closer, the company’s vodka brand, Absolut, joins a growing list of companies that has kicked off a new campaign that promotes responsibility around voting, adopting the tagline: “Vote First, Drink Second.”
“We’ll be closing our commercial and corporate offices on November 3rd – giving employees a full day off to cast their vote, volunteer their time at the polls, if they choose or help family and friends ensure their voices are heard,” said Regan Clarke, vice president of millennial connector brands at Pernod Ricard USA. “While we can’t close our manufacturing facilities for the day, we are adjusting schedules and providing an additional hour of paid time off to our employees at these locations to ensure they are able to prioritize voting.”
Election night is known to be a night of imbibing, whether celebrating with champagne or drowning your sorrows, citizens across party lines often gather with friends and share drinks as they stay up late and watch the election results come in. During the 2016 presidential election, alcohol delivery service Drizly.com reported an 86% increase in deliveries as compared to a normal Tuesday night, making it their busiest non-holiday weekday night ever.
Absolut’s campaign features the brand’s first television commercial in three years. The :15 second spot, which drops on September 29th before the first presidential debate, calls on US citizens to hold off on the Absolut until after they have cast their ballot.
“Absolut is a brand that has always championed participation and inclusion,” said Clarke. “And we believe that when more Americans – of all political backgrounds – get out and vote, we are able to create a better, more blended society. With that in mind, the campaign will use multiple channels to engage our audience.”
“The campaign includes Absolut’s first TV spot in three years, a sign of how important it is for the brand to encourage consumers to follow up on their good intentions to vote,” she added.
Since the debate had an advertising blackout, the spot will run during the CNN pre-debate and MSNBC and Fox News post-debate coverage. The spot will run again on linear TV during MSNBC and Fox News post-debate coverage of the 10/7 VP Debate to a national audience.
Additionally, the spot will run on Fox News and CNN across their digital properties to the brand’s media markets (AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, IA, NC, NH, NV, NY, MI, MN, OH, PA, TX, VA, WI) through November 3rd.
The effort also includes out-of-home, digital and social. The messaging varies in taglines but sticks to the same theme – “Vote First, Drink Second,” “Your Vote Can Shake or Stir the Election,” “Save Your Drink for After the Vote,” and “Drinking Can Wait. Your Vote Can’t.” The campaign will also include a series of activations in key markets to encourage consumers to vote leading up to Election Day.
“We’ll be introducing experiences and activations designed to keep voting top of mind in the days leading up to November 3rd – the last call to vote, if you will,” said Clarke. “These instigations are designed to surprise, entertain and maybe even shock people, with a clear message to prioritize voting. The instigations will support the creative campaign in delivering the message to make voting a priority and save the drink for after the vote.”
The voting responsibly campaign is the brand’s second campaign to promote responsible behavior when alcohol is involved, part of the company’s latest Drink Responsibly platform. Absolut kicked off the platform with a Valentine’s Day campaign that was designed to educate consumers around the combination of sexual assault and alcohol. The brand took on the culturally relevant issue by education te public about how sex offenders often use alcohol as a tool and an excuse for their assaults. Absolut has plans to release future campaigns that tackle serious topics that involve alcohol, while encouraging consumers to drink responsibly.
Ann Mukherjee, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard North America, is also urging others in the industry to follow her lead and to close up shop on November 3rd to prevent any employees from missing their opportunity to vote.
“Voting isn’t just a right, it is a responsibility,” said Mukherjee in her call to action. “As leaders of one of America’s most vibrant and beloved industries, we have an opportunity to give our employees the time and space they need to make voting a priority or contribute to their community by volunteering at the polls, even as they juggle the demands of work, parenting and daily life in the midst of a pandemic.”
