Intertextuality: Absolut Vodka Advertisements

1. In your own words, explain Intertextuality.

Intertextuality is defined to be text that is shaped by another text. This means that the particular text references another text directly or indirectly. This is usually seen in pop culture such as TV shows, music videos and movies. One such example is the animated show, Simpsons which relies heavily on parodies and meta-reflexivity. Like so, these scenes entice the viewers and keeps them engaged to indentify as many references as possible. However intertextuality is not limited to mass media. It is also seen in literature and print advertisements but serve a similar purpose. Intertextuality in these mediums make use of not only pop culture, but sociocultural references as well.

2. What is the evidence of intertextuality in these ads?

These are advertisements for the brand, Absolut Vodka; they are owned by Pernod Ricard and is the third largest brand of alcoholic spirits in the world.

Absolut Vodka uses intertextuality in the following advertisements by using white space or shapes to create the form of the popular bottle in each advert. And each advert, even though situated in a different sociocultural environments, has the bottle as a recurring constant. In the ad for Amsterdam, the bottle is depicted through the building form. For etiquette it's through the use of white space between the utensils and likewise for Bangkok it's the shape of the river.

This gives the audience something to look out for. It builds an expectation by the consumers to see a reference to the bottle in these ads. Absolut Vodka's use of intertextuality for this advertisement series is through instant identification of something familiar, the shape of the bottle.

3. What is the message behind the ads?

The message is simply to advertise their product. To show the consumers that Absolut Vodka is fit for the above sociocultural environments. Be it Amsterdam, Bangkok or relating to etiquette. And how they market the bottle is through intertextuality. The use of the bottle in each ad and the following sense of accomplishment when the viewers recognize it allows them to feel as if they are part of an exclusive club. In the end, this intertextuality acts as an aid to enhance consumers relationship with the brand by giving them a certain sense of accomplishment for decoding the advertisement.