Everyone Is Completely Confused With Okeechobee’s Ad For Its Vodka Sponsor

Okeechobee is this weekend! With Rüfüs Du Sol, Bassnectar, Vampire Weekend, Tipper, Kaskade, Alison Wonderland, Griz, San Holo and more on the lineup, this year’s edition is highly anticipated and nearly here.

That makes it that much weirder that either promoter Insomniac or vodka sponsor Three Olives would approve the ad posted to the festival’s Facebook page today (below). There’s a lot wrong with the advertisement, not least of all the apparent total lack of understanding of who goes to a music festival.

It opens with a group of friends at brunch — two order a bloody mary, the third orders a “screwdriver shot,” which appears to be a screwdriver in a glass with a side shot of vodka, not just a regular screwdriver in a shot glass. The woman who ordered the vodka proclaims, “Any drink is a brunch drink if you add OJ.” She then takes out an eye dropper and adds the smallest amount of juice to her liquor.

Then it cuts to the festival, where the same woman orders “Three Olives vodka soda” from the bartender who adds a similarly voluminous drop of vodka to her glass of soda and ice and charges her $38. She acts nonplussed, sips her drink, and the ad ends with the tagline, “Whether you party at 3PM or 3AM, we got you covered at Okeechobee.”

Now…

Where to begin…

Is it with how tone deaf the ad is, assuming people going to a festival would be fine with a $38 mixed drink? Or the assumption that your typical festival goer is an alcoholic at 3PM? Or perhaps the fact that Okeechobee City liquor laws prohibit on-premises service of liquor from a bar or restaurant after the hours of 2AM? Bars and restaurants are also not permitted to serve liquor on Sundays, only beer and wine between 1PM-12AM.

Alternatively, if you choose to camp, you’re allowed 1.75L of liquor in a plastic bottle only, beer and alcoholic drinks under 16% ABV, up to 24 cans per person (under 12oz), OR up to 5L of wine.

To be clear, this ad is not Insomniac’s fault, but whoever at Three Olives or its ad agency that created came up with it. The fact that it had to be peer reviewed and approved by a higher up also just begs the question, “…what? Are you joking?”

Don’t let Okeechobee’s odd vodka sponsor distract you from the fact that you’re probably going to have a fantastic weekend, though. The festivities begin Thursday, March 5.

Photo via Andrew Jorgensen