• by Teresa Buyikian , 10 hours ago

The Svedka Fembot is back with a decidedly low-tech device.

This week the vodka brand launched the Svedphone: a chrome-blue flip phone that has been designed to “do less,” enabling the user to “do more IRL.”

The device is an actual working phone. As throwback to Y2K-era tech, the Svedphone can only call and text, with no internet access. “No apps. No social feeds. No notifications. Just the essentials for coordinating the night,” according to the brand.

“Summer is when people want to be present, with friends, with music, with the moment,” said David Binder, senior brand director at Svedka, in a statement.  “There's a growing conversation around digital burnout. The Svedphone is…  proof that sometimes the most disruptive technology is actually less technology. [It’s] not anti-tech - it's pro-socialization and connection. From festival fields to rooftop parties, Svedphone transforms real-world moments into playful, shareable experiences, eliminating the pressure to check your notifications every few minutes."

The Svedphone is available online, with additional upcoming scheduled drops on 4/10, 4/14 and 4/17 at 9:00 a.m. EST via Flaviar at www.svedka.com/Svedphone. The phone sells for $5 and each one comes with pre-purchased minutes to load on it along with and a Svedka shooter.

The brand’s Fembot stars in social ads, such as seen here, promoting the Svedphone.

According to the brand the Svedphone, which was “created” by its Fembot, “marks the next evolution of Svedka’s mission to reboot human connection.” The brand reintroduced the Fembot last year a decade after its first appearance in ads, where it picked up bar tabs in one promo, encouraging consumers to trade screen time for IRL connection. The AI created “Shake Your Bots Off”:30 spot appeared in Super Bowl, which was the brand’s first ever big game spot.