Upgrade U: New Fiddy Endorsement Deal

Swedish Vodka-teur Absolut Vodka is marketing it's new product Absolut 100 for 'those who enjoy an intensity with taste'. The semi-opaque black bottle with silver lettering was designed to convey a 'masculinity' and the 'exclusivity' of the product. Wow! When I first read the press release on it I thought this sounds like Fiddy was the muse of Absolute 100 (plus given the 50% alcohol volume on the product I figured he would want 5 on that).

I only had to watch the long jerk-off commercial for the product -- Ayo Technology. That's right if you watch Fiddy's video for She Wants It (Ayo Technology) off of his forthcoming album Curtis you've peeped the 'masculinity' and 'exclusivity' that is Absolut 100. From the exclusive toys rocked by Fiddy/Justin Timbo and the masculine storyline of a cathouse visit you are seeing the product -- dripped in a black and silver treatment (Check out the product placement at the 2:25 mark of the video).

While I ain't mad at Fiddy's branding game, and I can't be mad that Absolut realized their market was eroded by a host of other brands that partnered with Hip Hop/Urban markets (see Jigga's and Dame's entrance into the vodka game), I got to say it is a bad fit for the Fiddy brand. The Glacaeu deal worked because it mapped perfectly over the 50 Cent brand. Vitamin water was an upstart that was and is essentially an adult version of Kool-Aid -- loud on color and short on value. The 50 Cent brand came into the game on some outsize personality ish, similar to Vitamin Water. The Absolut 100 brand is trying to go for a constrained swagger and well 50 Cent can't do that...but hey I guess he had to upgrade that Vitamin water money and Absolut as a global brand can afford the 100 million plus club.....