Director Spike Lee turned to Smoke & Mirrors to handle post and effects for "ABSOLUT BROOKLYN Trailer," a filmed tribute to Brooklyn narrated by spoken word poet/actor Lemon Andersen. The director blends live-action footage of the performer strolling the borough with still images of Brooklyn's soaring bridges, endless parks, busy boardwalks, and diverse people, culture and neighborhoods.

ABSOLUT BROOKLYN Trailer (1:02)
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"We are thrilled to once again work with such an accomplished director," notes Smoke & Mirrors chief creative officer Sean Broughton.

Tasked with bringing these images to life were lead Flame artist Nic Seresin and Flame artist Sam Caine. Both applied subtle and large moves to the director's well-chosen images of the borough's various neighborhoods, from Coney Island beaches to the stoops of Fort Greene and Bedford-Stuyvesant.

ABSOLUT BROOKLYN
Tied to the campaign is the release of ABSOLUT BROOKLYN, the latest limited-edition, city-inspired flavor to be added to the ABSOLUT VODKA flavor portfolio. Capturing the vibrancy, diversity and rich heritage of New York City's most celebrated borough, ABSOLUT BROOKLYN features an invigorating blend of red apple and ginger replete in a specially-designed bottle reminiscent of "Brooklyn Stoop Life."

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Spike Lee's ABSOLUT BROOKLYN Collaboration
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Designed in collaboration with Spike Lee, the bottle is a colorful depiction of the stoop where the Brooklyn-bred auteur grew up, #165. Harkening back to the decades-long notion that the stoop is the epicenter of creativity, culture and community, the bottle serves as an homage to that Brooklyn ideal of stoop life—where memories are made and ideas are sparked through conversation and camaraderie. Other subtle nods include Brooklyn nicknames on the steps of the stoop and a line from a love letter to Brooklyn written by poet/actor Lemon Andersen. In addition, the Lars Olsson Smith seal, never before altered on the iconic ABSOLUT bottle, has been "Spiked": Lars wears a baseball cap and glasses evocative of Spike Lee.

"It was a great honor to be approached by ABSOLUT to collaborate on this project. Brooklyn deserves to be honored in the best possible light, and I hope Brooklynites from Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill to Bensonhurst, Boerum Hill and Sheepshead Bay feel like I represented Bucktown to the fullest," says Spike Lee. "It's all about the 718 this summer, so let the ABSOLUT BROOKLYN stoop parties begin."

"Spike Lee is the epitome of what it means to be from Brooklyn. He has built a masterful career examining this corner of the world, and we knew his vision would lend credence and authenticity to what we hope to accomplish with this flavor introduction," said Ian Crystal, brand director for ABSOLUT VODKA. "This is the first time ABSOLUT has collaborated with a visionary on a city flavor and we gave him carte blanche in coming to us with ideas that were truly representative of Brooklyn."