Ogilvy has been appointed as the global creative agency for Pernod Richard’s vodka brand, Absolut.

Andy Main, Ogilvy’s Global CEO announced: “Ogilvy is proud to be chosen by Absolut, a globally iconic brand, to be their creative partner for growth. We admire Absolut’s strong heritage of using creativity to drive meaningful connections and influence culture. Our team is excited to use the borderless creativity of Ogilvy’s global network to deliver the innovative work that will win the attention of people around the world.”

Charl Bassil, global marketing lead, Absolut stated: “We fundamentally believe that agency partnerships are more effective than transactional supplier relationships. We know that through a genuine partnership, we are able to build open, transparent relationships that include a shared view of success and shared accountability.”
“Ultimately, Absolut has been built on the idea that we can create better together. With that in mind, we believe we have found the right partner in Ogilvy,” he added.

The new appointment concludes absolut’s 5 year relationship with BBH which had served as the brand’s lead global creative agency since 2016. BBH confirmed that the agency declined to participate in the review process.

In a published statement, BBH CMO, Adam Arnold said: “The Absolut team has undergone an organizational change that led them to put the business up for pitch to service their new structure. We declined to participate. We wish the team and Ogilvy all the very best – Absolut is a brand we will always love dearly.”

Ogilvy will be tasked with global strategic and creative duties for the brand, with a focus on Absolut’s lead market priorities and growing and accelerating its brand leadership position.
The review was led on the Absolut side by Tad Greenough, with support from Observatory International, based in London. Ogilvy’s pitch included ideas from global creative teams led by Marcos Kotlhar, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy New York, and Björn Ståhl, Chief Creative Officer of INGO, and was strategically led by Philip Heimann, Global Chief Marketing & Growth Officer, and Antonis Kocheilas, Global CEO of Advertising.