The first unabashed liquor ads to appear on national network television in the US weren't just ordinary ads. Three "Sapphire Inspired" spots looked more like sponsored content than advertising.

Prompted by their long-time client Bombay Sapphire, New York agency Margeotes/Fertitta & Partners put out a call to talented up-and-coming directors to shoot 60-second short films inspired by the Sapphire brand. After receiving a number of reels, 10 directors were given $2,000 US each and four weeks to develop concepts and create a storyboard. Five were selected and given a production budget (including initial talent fees, editing and music as a buy-out). Three weeks later, the spots were in production, and six weeks after that they were ready for air.

Three shorts made it to air, from directors Victor Robert (Palomar Pictures), Carlton Chase (Neue Sentimental USA) and Robert Logevall (Anonymous Content). Each spot gave equal weight to the film's title and director at the beginning (four seconds) as to the product shot at the end.

Robert's short, "The Green Shore" is a Dali-esque vignette combining live action, green screen, HD and digital photography, showing elegant spectators watching a surreal swimmer in a desert circus tent. It was the second commercial the 25-year-old had directed after signing to Palomar from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Robert describes the work as something that came together "like a painting" and adds that, "I think they wanted at least one wild card and that ended up being mine."

The campaign was in the works when NBC announced last December that they would be the first national network to accept liquor ads, ending a self-imposed ban previously upheld by all of the major networks. But the experiment lasted only a few months - well before Smirnoff Vodka completed their mandatory four months of anti-drinking PSAs - before NBC was back in the news, this time reneging on its idea.

However, the Sapphire spots have since aired on five cable networks: Bravo, Outdoor Life Network, USA Network, the Sci-Fi Channel and Trio digital channel. Since the Distilled Spirits Council removed their blanket advertising ban in 1996, the major networks have clung to their own, but those standards are loosening.

The Distilled Spirits Council estimates that since 1997, more than 400 TV stations in the US have aired ads for liquor, reaching some 67% of households. Advertisers are well aware of the trend and Bombay Sapphire is one client who knows that treading lightly is the best route to air.

Monsell Darville, group marketing director of Bombay Sapphire, claims that "the tight restrictions on - and general weariness about - liquor advertising really didn't impact our creative decisions." But then goes on to admit that, "In the end, I think the stations were enthused by our producing what is essentially sponsored content versus a straight commercial."

And that's the key. Public acceptance is largely dependent on the way liquor is treated in advertising. Showing people drinking is a no-no. As is showing drinking as a coming-of-age ritual, using cartoon characters, and using athletes or celebrities.

The liquor category has a history of working with artists to produce content that is not always related to the product. Andy Warhol did it for Absolut, and in the past 10 years Bombay Sapphire has used their print campaign to showcase original work of top designers, architects and artists from around the world.

With an ad budget of $9 million gross for 2002, that's a whole lot of benevolence, and a whole lot of satisfied viewers.

WEBFILES
Bombay Sapphire> http://www.bombaysapphire.com
Margeotes/Fertitta> http://www.margeotes.com
Distilled Liquor Council> http://www.discus.com
Palomar Pictures> http://www.palomarpics.com

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE'S BRIEF

Excerpts from the campaign brief sent to select directors:

"These are not commercials in the traditional sense, and will not work if the audience perceives them that way. They will also not be accepted for television broadcast if they are perceived to be promoting the drinking of alcohol.

"They need to be short films whose subject matter and execution reflect the qualities of the brand that is sponsoring them. Their main requirement is to have an air of intrigue, complexity and style that is in line with the brand's image.

"This is a rare opportunity for a director to find a new way to talk about a brand, to create a spot free of most of the restraints usually associated with product advertising."