Fembots Have Penetrated our Mainstream Culture

March 23, 2011

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SVEDKA decides adults want hot bots

Fembots have been a curiosity for the mainstream since before we even knew what technology could make them real. Hajime Sorayama spent years creating sexy gynoids, and his patrons spent years paying him to do it. We’ve seen fembots pop up in films, video clips and novels, almost always playing the role of fatal seductress.

SVEDKA, a brand of Swedish vodka, tapped into that curiosity back in 2005 when they first created their SVEDKA_Grl advertising campaign.

For those who’ve not seen it, the SVEDKA campaign plays on our long-established views of the future. There is futuristic music, jilted, ‘robotic’ dance moves, a lot of metallic accessories and then SVEDKA_Grl, the shapely fembot SVEDKA have adopted as their mascot.

A spokesperson for the company said SVEDKA’s original premise for the campaign was the idea of adult entertainment (not porn)—that is, all things pertaining to the fun of adulthood, whether that be drinking, dining, dancing, nightlife or shopping. They then took that concept and projected it into the future.

“Since no one owns the future, all things are possible for the SVEDKA brand. In 2033 there’s a female president, a 100% divorce rate, interplanetary dating is all the rage and SVEDKA is the number one vodka.”

To birth SVEDKA_Grl, SVEDKA brought in a creative dream team consisting of avant garde artist Charlie White (who worked alongside Ad Agency Amalgamated) and special effects guru Stan Winston (known for his magic on The Terminator, Edward Scissorhands).

The advertisements touch on controversial topics like stem cell research and homosexuality, but the futuristic context and presentation disarms them somewhat, allowing them to fall short of potentially offensive or off-putting.

It’s interesting that SVEDKA decided a sexy fembot would be the most effective way to get the attention of adults, but the ensuing Internet attention suggests it was a worthwhile tactic.

Would you buy SVEDKA_Grl a drink?

Image source: The Intoxicologist Is In

Meg White

Meg White is an Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), machine learning engineer, and honors-year electrical engineering student. She is co-founder and CEO of VAUX, a deep-tech company based in Brisbane, Australia, that specializes in AI and signal processing.

The company was founded in July 2018. In 2019, VAUX took part in the Techstars Music accelerator in Los Angeles and raised money from investors in the US. Techstars is the global platform for investment and innovation that connects entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations.

Meg also holds the Head Girl role in the research firm, Crone Labs. The company offers research and development in the intersecting fields of machine learning and security. In 2017, Meg was selected to be part of Startup Catalyst's 2017 youth mission cohort where tech-savvy, high-achieving Australians embarked on a fully-sponsored two-week mission to Silicon Valley to become Australia’s next batch of globally successful tech entrepreneurs.

Preceding her achievements in the tech industry, Meg was also a journalist, editor, and online producer. She was principal creative, digital culture, and social media advisor on the marketing team of Nine Entertainment Co. from May 2011 to June 2012.

She has also worked with various publications such as Dovetail Magazine, cudo, Gateway Lounge, and Australian Penthouse, an international men's magazine focused on glamour photography and lifestyle.

Meg completed her education in Journalism, PR, and Popular Music at Griffith University in 2009 and earned her degree with honors as a Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical, and Robotics from the Queensland University of Technology in 2020.

Her interests also include “cyber-physical systems” and she is keen to learn more about making and breaking them. Meg loves deep learning and looks forward to working at the intersection of AI and security for a long time to come.

On her Twitter account, Meg describes herself as having strong feelings for signal analysis, control theory, logic design, hacking, deep learning, and eating the rich. Currently, Meg is focused on learning everything she can about reverse engineering, source code analysis, exploit development, embedded devices, and all the ideas in between.