Dear Ketel One Drinker

In Chapter 8 of “Practices of Looking,” Sturken and Cartwright explain postmodernism and popular culture. I only recently learned exactly what postmodernism is in my communications classes, and one thing I have recently found very interesting is postmodern advertising. Essentially, the company uses texts that speak to the viewer as subjects who know about the codes and conventions of representation. This form of advertising speaks to consumers as if there is a mutual understanding between the consumer and company, as if the company is saying to the viewer, “We know you know we’re advertising right now.” The postmodern form takes the viewer to be someone who won’t be fooled by techniques of propaganda or illusionism, but instead as someone who will get the reference and who is image and media savvy.

A recent ad campaign that is utilizing this post modern tactic in an extreme way is Ketel One’s ads that are all just a few words on paper. In Ketel One’s signature font, they say things like “Dear Ketel One Drinker, Can you find the subliminal message in this advertisement?” or “Dear Ketel One Drinker, Thank You,” and the remainder of the page is completely blank. This ad campaign has been the subject of a lot of criticism, and people have said they find the ads annoying, but it works for two reasons. One is that Ketel One is a recognizable brand and people are familiar with both the name and the font, and the second is that Ketel One is mocking advertising while advertising, assuming that the viewer will understand.

Vodka is essentially an empty commodity, a clear substance that does not really taste like anything, so vodka sells based on the image that it promotes, and is almost strictly based on the branding and marketing of the product. Ketel One has taken a postmodern approach with its advertising, assuming that the viewer is knowledgeable, informed, and not blindly influenced by the marketing they see. I think that this type of postmodern advertising is interesting, because Ketel One is spending so much money to leave ¾ of each page or billboard blank. This is a bold move, and I do think that people can recognize it as witty and therefore appreciate it. Rather than using bold images or topics, these ads are subtle and smart. Keep an eye out for these ads- they’re in subways now and some billboards, and whether you love them or hate them, they’re pretty interesting to see because they’re so different than the in your face advertisements that tend to scream out to reach viewers.