Gadling TAKE FIVE: Week of May 17-23

by Jamie Rhein on

This has been a week where deal snagging has been a bit elusive and prices are rising.

For example:

  • Grant noted American Airlines announcement that it will start charging $15 for the first checked bag.
  • Jeffrey gave us details about how we can expect the price of plane tickets to keep going up as the availability of flights go down.
  • Aaron made note of the higher gas prices which could affect some travel plans for drivers this three-day weekend.
  • Iva has been searching in Moscow for things that are cheap without much luck, unless one considers the subway, vodka and symphony tickets.

But, on the bright side, Tynan was hooked up once more with his beloved Aloksak Plastic Bags which can help pack items more tightly so they can fit in those carry-ons. Plus, they are waterproof so things like your camera won’t get ruined. That’s money saving.

Absolut Vodka causes a stir with Mexico ad

by Anna Brones on

Absolut Vodka is known round the world for its creative ad campaigns. With the most recent campaign however, the Swedish company managed to cause an uproar from U.S. consumers who threatened to boycott the vodka after seeing the “In An Absolut World” ad which depicted the Southwestern U.S. as a part of Mexico.

The ad only ran in Mexico, but when it was posted to a conservative blog, it began to spark a heated debate, feeding on the controversial issues of illegal immigration from Mexico to the U.S.

In response, Absolut pointed out that the ad was designed for a Mexican audience and intended to recall “a time which the population of Mexico might feel was more ideal.”

Swedes like to stick to their neutral roots, and Absolut ended up releasing an apology. “We are sorry if we offended anyone. . . As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market. Obviously, this ad was run in Mexico, and not the US — that ad might have been very different,” stated Paula Eriksson, Vice President of Vin & Sprit. Can’t wait to see what the American version of the ad campaign might be.

Man chugs a litre of vodka in airport line-up

by Martha Edwards on

You know those new regulations that prohibit you from taking liquids on a plane? They can be near fatal for a vodka lover, according to this story: Recently, a man at the Nuremberg Airport almost died from alcohol poisoning when he downed a litre of vodka because he was told he’d either have to get rid of it or pay a fee to have his bag checked as cargo. He chugged the potent liquid in a matter of minutes (the mere thought of this makes me gag) and almost instantly, he was unable to stand or even function, at which point police and medical officials were called.

Um, yeah, that’s one way of getting rid of the vodka, but you know, sometimes it’s best to just suck it up and pay the fee, you know? Darwin awards, anyone?

The man was coming home to Dresden from a holiday in Europe, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Photo of the Day (2/10/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

There is something about StrudelMonkey’s photos of food and beverage that always seem to draw me to them. Perhaps it is my insatiable appetite to experience new bits, nibbles, sips and guzzles in exotic areas. In this most recent addition to the Gadling Flickr pool we are lured into the Absolut Ice Bar in Stockholm, Sweden by two drinks on ice. And when I say on ice I really mean in ice – ice glasses. According to the photographer everything is made ice which means you’ll have to throw back the vodka extremely fast or wear some mittens while babysitting your glass. As wimpy as I am about the cold I wouldn’t mind chilling out at this cool spot on a frosty Saturday night.

Battling Russian Vodkas

by Erik Olsen on

Probably should have let Neil handle this one, but what the hey. I feel like we should cue the banjo music from Deliverance…albeit played with a Balalaika.

So what’s the dealeo? In Russia, the country that we most often think of when we consider vodka, there appears to be a serious debate going on about which brands can lay claim to being called "Russian." This is important because the drink’s association with its country is a big part of its branding. And right now, there are two vodka companies competing for the title of Russia’s authentic beverage. The fight is between Stolichnaya and, well Stolichnaya, the latter (or is it the former) being produced by a company called Russian Standard, who says that the other Stolichnaya is not authentically Russian. The details…well, you can read about them here…I’m still a bit confused to be honest. But the whole thing seems to come down to ownership of the name both inside and outside the country.