JUST THE TONIC
A famous fan can boost a drinks brand, say and – but only if their love appears genuine
Given that Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds was, according to Forbes’ annual list, the second-highest-earning actor in the world last year thanks to a string of Netflix and box office hits, you’d expect him to pick up the tab if you ever went out for a swift gin and tonic with him. One condition he would no doubt insist on would be that the gin in your glass had to be Aviation, an American craft brand distilled in Portland, Oregon, with an unusual, slightly medicinal flavour, which comes from its signature botanical, the sarsaparilla root.
Aviation has been steadily gathering followers since 2006, when it was introduced into an emerging market of US-based craft gins. Fastforward to 2018 and the brand received a high-profile champion in the form of Reynolds, who decided he liked it – quite a lot in fact. He was quoted in Forbes magazine announcing it as “the best damn gin on the planet” and invested his dollars and, more importantly, his time, in acquiring a stake in the brand and promoting Aviation on a global scale.
This week, Aviation, and the company that owns it, Davos Brands, were acquired by Diageo, the international drinks giant behind brands such as Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan. The deal could total $610 million if performance targets are met, with Reynolds remaining the international face of the brand.
However, it pales in comparison with the deal Diageo did in 2019 for George Clooney and Rande Gerber’s tequila brand, Casamigos – estimated to be in the region of a billion dollars. One thing’s for sure; these acquisitions demonstrate how lucrative a celebrity association with a drinks brand can be.
This type of partnership is nothing new. Most nota
Ryan Reynolds, above, and George Clooney, inset, as well as David Beckham, bottom, have endorsed drinks brands
bly, and also with Diageo, US rapper Sean Combs (aka P Diddy) unveiled his association with the French vodka brand Ciroc back in 2007, and a little over five years later, it was a multimillion-selling brand.
Elsewhere, sports personalities such as David Beckham have put their considerable global profile behind Scotch whiskies (in Beckham’s case, Haig Club), while musicians Bob Dylan and Justin Timberlake have created rye whiskey and tequila brands. Even hell-raisers The Pogues have put their name to an Irish whiskey, achieving notoriety closer to home.
Cynics may look at these as nothing more than cash cows – and we’re certain there are more than a few partnerships that are purely based on that assessment. However, there are two points to consider when it comes to long-term success.
Firstly, as the consumer becomes ever more surrounded by celebrity endorsements, Instagram influencers and “paid partnerships”, we are, thankfully, becoming more savvy about deciding which associations feel genuine. When you see a celebrity endorsing everything from watches to cars and even underwear alongside their spirit brand, it starts to lose authenticity.
Secondly, there is a distinction to be made between simply endorsing something and actively forming a meaningful partnership with a drinks brand. In the case of George Clooney and Casamigos, the tequila is clearly not distilled by Clooney himself, as romantic an image as that may conjure up. However, the story goes that it came into existence for the actor and several friends – now business partners – to enjoy at their holiday residences, with Clooney helping to create the flavour profile of the spirit.
In the case of Aviation gin, the brand developed a strong following organically for more than a decade, and Reynolds’s passion for the product has been clear since his involvement began. His often hilarious “rivalry” online with other celebrity brand owners, such as Hugh Jackman (who owns Laughing Man Coffee) and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Teremana tequila) has helped cement what feels like a genuine affinity for his gin.
In the long term, both Reynolds and Diageo will want Aviation gin to fly, and we’ll be keeping a close eye too, to see whether it becomes an Oscar winner or goes straight to DVD.