Thinking Global, Acting Local.. with the help of a local artist

At the year-end party we held at home for my colleagues from the office, my wife and I decided we wanted to set up a caipirinha bar. So I went to the supermarket to stock up on cachaça, vodka and sake (the barman we hired explained that there's a trend of sake caipirinhas particularly popular among women who want a softer version of Brazil's favorite cocktail). Selecting the right cachaça was easy for me and someone gave me some sake bottles from a well-known Japanese market. So, when it came to selecting a vodka among dozens of choices, the bottle pictured here caught my attention. The art on the label had an unexpected Brazilian spirit to it (even though Absolut is as Swedish as it gets...). Back home, researching online I found out that Absolut commissioned artwork to 12 local artists and there were two finalists. The bottle I thought was so cool was, in fact, created by Brazilian graphic artist Daniel Senise. I also found an interesting video on YouTube that shows the label being created and the technique used by this artist. http://www.danielsenise.com

Two things came to mind. First, the experience I had shows how brand communication is becoming more and more multi-dimensional and not necessarily dependent on a 30" spot. Extraordinary packaging led me to research the brand's website that led me to explore a video on the artist behind the label. Second, the experience made me reflect on the "think global, act local" movement from a few years ago. What an inspiring example of how an iconic global brand, using the universal language of art, is reaching out and making local connections. http://www.absolutbrasil.com.br