John in Vodka Ad

[Tim]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2001-09-04-absolut.htm

09/04/2001 - Updated 02:10 PM ET



Absolut mixes with famous records

By Theresa Howard and Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY

The new ad for Absolut Vodka includes a bottle of the liquor between the couple's legs. USA TODAY altered the image to cover up part of their bodies.

John Lennon's image is about to move from the CD cabinet to the liquor cabinet.

A famous nude image of Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, from the back cover of their 1968 album, Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins, will appear in an Absolut ad in the Rolling Stone out Wednesday. In the ad, the space between them has been altered to the familiar shape of an Absolut bottle. The ad is part of a series based on famous album covers from the '60s and '70s, subtly altered to include the bottle shape.

This ad may be less provocative for its nudity than for the product: liquor. And the fact that it's promoted by Lennon — revered by fans as the Beatle least likely to commercially sell out.

Lennon, who was shot to death in 1980, obviously had no say in the decision. It was Ono's call. Some ad critics don't much like it.

"John Lennon is probably rolling around in his grave," says Katharine Paine, a corporate image and public relations consultant. But even she says, "It will sell a lot of vodka."

It also may anger some diehard Beatles fans, experts say. "I don't think it's consistent with his legendary image," says Noreen Jenney, president of Celebrity Endorsement Network, which matches celebrities with marketers.

Ono was traveling and unavailable. Calls to her West Coast publicist and East Coast attorney were not returned. Officials at Absolut and its ad agency declined to say what they paid Ono, who oversees the estate. Industry executives estimate $250,000 to $500,000.

Ads featuring Beatles have come a long way. Nearly three decades ago, there was an uproar when their song Revolution was used in a Nike TV spot. Now three of the four Beatles have appeared in ads. Ringo Starr shows up in Century 21 and Charles Schwab spots. Paul McCartney appeared in ads for frozen entrees under the Linda McCartney brand named for his wife who died in 1998.

Until now, none of the Beatles have been associated with ads for liquor.

Executives at TBWA/Chiat/Day, Absolut's agency, say the campaign is about art.

"We look at this as a piece of art," says Richard Lewis, worldwide account director at TBWA. "And album covers are a lost art."

The front cover of Unfinished Music featured frontal nudity. Lewis says Absolut used the back cover, showing them uncovered from the back "in the interest of good taste."

Ad watchdog George Gerbner doesn't find any of it in good taste. "It associates sex and alcohol — something long considered reprehensible," says Gerbner, dean emeritus of the Annenberg School for Communication at University of Pennsylvania.

Absolut has lined up several other top names to allow classic covers to be used in the campaign. Among them is David Bowie, with Aladdin Sane. The teardrop on Bowie's chest has morphed into the shape of an Absolut bottle.

Other ads include covers from Miles Davis (Bitches Brew), The Velvet Underground (The Velvet Underground & Nico, cover designed by Andy Warhol) and Judas Priest (British Steel). The ads also will appear in Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly.

For more than two decades, Absolut has associated its print ads, all playing off the bottle shape, with top artists and designers. Work by Keith Haring to Helmut Newton to Gianni Versace has appeared in the ads. Advertising Age named Absolut's work the seventh-best campaign of the 20th century.

"We've done artists from sculpture to fashion. This is just another way to extend the legacy in a new direction," says James Schleifer, marketing director for Absolut.

The campaign works. Absolut had about $1 billion in U.S. sales last year, about 60% of the imported vodka market.

"I bought a bottle of Absolut yesterday," Paine says. "The ads stick with you."









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Tim
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[HMVNipper]

This bothers me -- not because the photo is being used to sell Vodka, but because the photo is being used to sell *anything*! I'm not particularly bothered by Beatles songs being used in advertising or any of that stuff, but this just rubs me the wrong way...It's a very honest image, John and Yoko baring themselves and their souls to the world, and somehow I think this kind of use just cheapens it...

Susan :-)


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Hmm yeah, I dunno bout this. It seems anywhere and anything involving John where there's money to be made, Yoko takes full advantage.

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[Rellevart]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By Tim:
Until now, none of the Beatles have been associated with ads for liquor.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

They need to get their facts straight on this one....anybody remember Ringo's Sun Country Wine Cooler ads?? http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/rolleyes.gif



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Hey, don't you know that I'm....always going back in time....

[beatlemethisbeatlemethat]

here's another article on it

Ice and Lennon

A FAMOUS nude image of John Lennon and Yoko Ono is to become a vodka advertisement.

The nude image from the rear cover of the couple's album, Unfinished No 1: Two Virgins, has been bought by Swedish vodka firm Absolut to be used in an American advertising campaign.

The picture shows a naked John and Yoko from behind, with the space in between them altered to the shape of a vodka bottle.

Absolut's advertising firm TBWA/Chiat/Day paid up to £350,000 to the Lennon estate for the image, it has been reported.

The image is being used as part of a campaign which puts the Absolut vodka bottle on famous album covers, including records from David Bowie, the Velvet Underground and Judas Priest.

It is the first time a Beatle's picture has been used to promote alcohol, although only George Harrison has not appeared in adverts of any kind.

Richard Lewis, director of the advertising agency, told USA Today: "We look at this as a piece of art. And album covers are a lost art."

The firm used the back cover of the album "in the interest of good taste", he said, because the other side features full-frontal nudity.

Industry insiders told the newspaper the album cover could have been sold for anything from £175,000 to £350,000, with Lennon's estate and Yoko Ono the beneficiaries.

Ono was unavailable for comment.

http://www.megastar.co.uk/showbiz_news/20010905z_lennon.html

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Peace, http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/heart.gif and Beatles,
Stefanie

Beatle Me This, Beatle Me That (http://www.beatlemethisbeatlemethat.com/)

//0-0\\//0-0\\//0-0\\
"After all is said and done, you can't go pleasing everyone, so screw it"
--John Lennon

[kjrocks_1]

I don't know if this would make me want to buy their vodka....I just don't wanna see Yoko's butt.

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[bearkat77]

http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/laugh2.gif

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[beatlemethisbeatlemethat]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By kjrocks_1:
I don't know if this would make me want to buy their vodka....I just don't wanna see Yoko's butt.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Maybe the ad is saying drink vodka, get drunk, or you will be forced to look at a nude Yoko.

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Peace, http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/heart.gif and Beatles,
Stefanie

Beatle Me This, Beatle Me That (http://www.beatlemethisbeatlemethat.com/)

//0-0\\//0-0\\//0-0\\
"After all is said and done, you can't go pleasing everyone, so screw it"
--John Lennon

[Dominic]

I think I'd need to drink several bottles of the stuff to find her butt attractive.

I think we should all be grateful for small mercies, though - at least it's not the frontal shot

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[darkhorse]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By Dominic:
I think I'd need to drink several bottles of the stuff to find her butt attractive.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I don't think that would be enough. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/shakehead2.gif


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"A mind that wants to wander 'round a corner
Is an unwise mind"

[bearkat77]

http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/rolling3.gifhttp://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/laugh2.gif

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By Dominic:
I think we should all be grateful for small mercies, though - at least it's not the frontal shot

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Speaking of the frontal shot, has anyone seen the infamous image with their private bits reversed on one another?

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[bearkat77]

Now that's just plain sick.

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I'll take it you have. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

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[SF4-EVER]

I don't even want to THINK about that one, NWM. I'm not too thrilled by the ad either (just saw this topic; haven't had much time to check out more than the Survivor topics recently). I wish there was something we could do to stop the ad, but unfortunately, money talks louder than we fans can. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/frown.gif



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Author of "Move Over Ms. L." and the sequel "To Thine Own Self Be True,"
hosted at www.rooftopsessions.com (http://www.rooftopsessions.com)

[MaccaTwst9]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR> "John Lennon is probably rolling around in his grave," says Katharine Paine, a corporate image and public relations consultant. But even she says, "It will sell a lot of vodka." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

John Lennon was cremated, and he never got a grave, his urn is on Ono's fireplace mental well it was orignally under her bed, but is now on her fireplace mantel, but he has no grave, he didn't even have a funeral just "10 minutes of silence" and the dedication in the park. &lt;sighs&gt;


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~*Liz*~

Yeah... although he was cremated against his wishes, I can understand why they did so. It certainly would have been a nightmare keeping fans away from anywhere he would have been buried at, and it may even have invited grave robbers.

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[SF4-EVER]

I've heard that his ashes were divided into two piles and buried in two secret locations, but I'm not sure if that's true or not.

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"It is better to light a candle than to damn darkness." -- Confucius

Author of "Move Over Ms. L." and the sequel "To Thine Own Self Be True,"
hosted at www.rooftopsessions.com (http://www.rooftopsessions.com)

[MaccaTwst9]

no it clearly states that his ashes are at the Dakota where she still lives and is on the mantel, after he died and was...um cremated she had his ashes under their bedm then moved them to the mantel on the fire-place. and when they first arrived his urn came in a cardboad box http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/frown.gif

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~*Liz*~

Yeah this is true. Makes you wonder though how there haven't been many burglary attempts on her apartment, must be pretty tight security around there.

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http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/king2.gif

[MaccaTwst9]

There is pretty tight security around the Dakota, I was taking pictures of it one summer while I staying there with my brother, and the doorman looked at me funny and gave me an evil eye, and lol I just smiled and nodded at him and he eased up, but it looked like there was a police car going around the block all day or something, and there always seemed to be black expensive cars lined along side of the sidewalk towards the entrance, but the scarey thing is, I looked down at the sidewalk and there was a dark spot..not just a small bird poop one but dark red and about this size around ---- I think...no not think, I know what it was, because that's the same entrance John got *ahem* murdered (dont like the word, nor do I like talking about it) so then I looked at the gates and sure enough, that was the same exact spot. I remember getting chills up and down my spine.


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~*Liz*~

Woh, that's pretty freaky. Have you ever seen Yoko around? She'd probably scare me to death if I saw her looking at me from the window up there.

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[bearkat77]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By Nowhere Man:
Woh, that's pretty freaky. Have you ever seen Yoko around? She'd probably scare me to death if I saw her looking at me from the window up there.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Can you say Medusa? http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/afraid1.gif

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By bearkat77:
Can you say Medusa? http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/afraid1.gif

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/tongue5.gif

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[MaccaTwst9]

now I havne't, but one Christmas when we all went to NYC, we had just all walked out of Strawberry Fields after putting down the usual roses that I do, and I see yoko walk right past me and she had alot of men around her, she was wearing a white mink fur coat, and I think she had a couple of dogs on leashes, lol. but then she looked at me then my brother and brother byron, lmao looked her and slightly made a face and when she passed he was like "wench" LOL!!

http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/laugh2.gif


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~*Liz*~

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By MaccaTwst9:
and I see yoko walk right past me and she had alot of men around her, she was wearing a white mink fur coat, and I think she had a couple of dogs on leashes, lol.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you sure the men weren't on leashes? http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

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[MaccaTwst9]

LOL Its possible ;laugh;

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~*Liz*~

[MaccaTwst9]

LOL I'm such a http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/dork2.gif

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~*Liz*~

[bearkat77]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By MaccaTwst9:
LOL I'm such a http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/dork2.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, you're not.

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[**DONOTDELETE**]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By Bearkat77:
Now that's just plain sick.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By Nowhere Man:
I'll take it you have. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/rolling3.gifhttp://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/laugh2.gif


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"If not for you my sky would fall, rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all, I'd be lost if not for you"

[**DONOTDELETE**]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By MaccaTwst9:
she had a couple of dogs on leashes


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you sure the men didn't have HER on the leash??

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"If not for you my sky would fall, rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all, I'd be lost if not for you"

[**DONOTDELETE**]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By Nowhere Man:
Are you sure the men weren't on leashes? http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Damn you for having almost the exact same joke as me!



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"If not for you my sky would fall, rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all, I'd be lost if not for you"

http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/blush1.gif

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[MaccaTwst9]

hehe great minds think alike for you two

http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/wink2.gif



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~*Liz*~

Actually she just copied me. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

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[**DONOTDELETE**]

Nah, I just let him have this one this time. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

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"If not for you my sky would fall, rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all, I'd be lost if not for you"

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Frickin Darky. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/angry1.gif

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"If not for you my sky would fall, rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all, I'd be lost if not for you"

[bearkat77]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By 4thGenFan:
Nah, I just let him have this one this time. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And I see Darky gave you something, as well. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

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[**DONOTDELETE**]

He wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that.....http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/wink2.gif

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"If not for you my sky would fall, rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all, I'd be lost if not for you"

[MaccaTwst9]

"Are you a mod or a rocker?"

"ehh no,i'm a mocker"

hehee copy cat!!
http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/grin.gif

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~*Liz*~

Remember not to mix the green pill with the red ones. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

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[darkhorse]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By 4thGenFan:
He wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that.....http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/wink2.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/afraid2.gif http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/afraid3.gif



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When the rain washes you clean you'll know

[McCharlenstar]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By kjrocks_1:
I don't know if this would make me want to buy their vodka....I just don't wanna see Yoko's butt.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

GOOD POINT!!!

http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/dance.gif

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[jtal909]

John's either!

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"Why don't you say it in your famous James Mason impersonation?"