About Stolichanaya Vodka and this ad campaign.

The thing about vodka, at least most vodka, is that it is a strong alcohol with virtually no flavor to overpower the taste of 40-45% pure ethanol. As a result, it burns as it goes down your throat. As a rule of thumb, the cheaper the brand of vodka, or less attractive the packaging, the harsher it is to drink. This ad campaign is meant to differentiate Stolichnaya brand vodka from this stereotype. Stoli is an expensive, premium brand of vodka that goes down smooth, relatively speaking. Also, the Stolichnaya infused-vodkas (Oranj etc.) have a subtle flavor that make it all its own. The point is: Stoli doesn’t burn your throat like the competitor’s brand.

The example slogans here "Ethanol is for chemistry majors" and "Fire is something circus freaks swallow" are meant to belittle those who would drink a cheaper, lower quality brand. The pictures show nerdy chemistry majors and circus freaks, representing undesirable characters who don’t drink Stoli. The tagline, "Join the club" furthers the idea that Stoli, although more expensive, is an elite drink. The not-so-hidden meaning here is that Stoli is cool. The final slogan "Your throat isn’t flame retardant" drives the point home in a different way: drinking bad vodka hurts like a sumamabitch. Again, all three slogans and accompanying illustrations convey the basic point: Stoli doesn’t burn your throat like the competitor’s brand.

So by now you probably want to see the ads.