The cultural marketing agency Forward wins global creative duties for Pernod Absinthe

Cristina Blanaru Creativity, Marketing

After a 96 year-ban, on May 17th 2011 Pernod Absinthe could once again celebrate its ancestral libation under the “Absinthe Supérieure” label. To generate awareness and excitement around its liquor formerly launched in 1805 as the first commercially sold Absinthe in the world, Pernod-Ricard Group has appointed cultural marketing agency </FORWAR:D> to manage global duties.

Pernod Absinthe is one of the most prestigious brands of the Pernod Ricard Group, a French jewel rooted in the imaginary of artists. The creative community knows the DNA and heritage of the brand, which was beloved by Verlaine, Rimbaud, Toulouse Lautrec, Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso. This liquor truly is « Art in a Bottle ». We are very proud to have the opportunity to partner with a new generation of artists and foster a creative lab around this “sleeping beauty”

Alexandre Sap

co-founder of </FORWAR:D>

Key initiatives will focus around an innovative digital platform, creative events, as well as the launch of limited edition bottles developed in partnership with some of the most talented artists in Fashion, Music, Film and Contemporary Art, amongst others.

Henri-Louis Pernod set up an absinthe distillery in Pontarlier,France called Pernod Fils in 1805 and was the first anise-based liqueur producer in France. It was a small distillery. It consisted of two alembic absinthe stills producing some 16 liters of absinthe a day. As the absinthe consumption increased, the founder‘s younger son Louis built a large distillery on a 36,000 m2 purchased land on the banks of the Doubs river. Its daily production exceeded 400 liters a day and by the time Louis died in 1850, the distillery had 26 stills producing 20,000 liters of absinthe per day and was equipped with a shipping platform and spur linking to the railroad. Pernod Fils was the most popular brand of absinthe throughout the 19th century until it was banned in 1915. During the Belle Époque, the Pernod Fils name became synonymous with absinthe, and the brand represented the de facto standard of quality by which all others were judged.

Pernod Absinthe is a liquor of choice for some of the best bartenders and mixologists around the world, and respected by consumers and experts in Americas, Europe and Asia. Key markets targeted by Pernod Absinthe and </FORWAR:D> are the USA, UK, France and Japan.

</FORWAR:D> is a micro network specialized in cultural marketing and artists collaboration with brands, founded by Alexandre Sap, Leslie Dubest, and Fabien Moreau, and based in New York, Paris and Tokyo. Client roster includes Cartier, LVMH, Estée Lauder, DKNY, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel and Pernod-Ricard Group amongst others.