In this world...

While my last post tackled the endorsements of celebrities in a hypothetical world, this one will come crashing back down into the reality in which we live in. Celebrity endorsements aren't anything new, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it as the saying goes. Tacking on a famous face to a product has helped countless companies throughout any industry you can think of increase sales by adding some emotional currency to its product.

Alcohol is a personal favorite product of mine so lets see who from tinsel town is bellying up to the bar for a drink and a paycheck. As it turns out, there are a ton of celebrities that endorse alcoholic beverages so keep in mind this is just a top three from me, so if you know of one that I didn''t mentioned and want to share, send me a comment! I would love to hear what craziness is going on out there that I haven't heard about yet. For now though, lets get back to that list.

1. Clint Eastwood - Pale Rider Ale

   

   Are you feelin' lucky, punk?

This brew was created in 1997 and developed by Clint himself with the help of Celis Brewery out of Austin, Texas. The name was a play on a movie  he starred in with the same title in 1985. As of August of 2000 it's no longer distributed anywhere, but its short life span wasn't in vain. Clint actually donated all the profits of his beer to charities, such as the Carmel Youth Center in California. I'm putting this at the top because while I don't see eye to eye with him on his political views, I would have totally purchased a six pack,or four, if I had the opportunity today for the reasons stated above.

   2. Sean Combs - Ciroc Vodka
 

 Mr. Combs may be better known for his media mogul status as a recording artist, producer, and movie star, but he generates a large portion of his yearly revenue from endorsing high-end liquor such as Ciroc. The owners of the vodka recruited Combs in early 2007 as just the face of the drink, but after seeing sales increase considerably, negotiated a deal giving Combs more responsibility and more pay. Combs re-branded Ciroc as an "ultra-premium" Vodka, changing its positioning and increasing sales by 131% in the U.S. alone. He's helped them with creating new flavors, such as peach, to enter the market with and is pulling in tens of millions off this business deal. I'm not one for mixed drinks, but I'd sure like to sit down with Mr. Combs and find out what the next thing I should be investing in will be!

  3. Bill Murray - Suntory Whiskey

This is the personal favorite of mine. It's a trifecta of perfectness. The actor, the movie, and the whiskey are all great on their own, but mixed together, create the perfect advertisement in a movie without even looking like it's trying. For those of you who need a little info on what I'm talking about, Bill Murray plays an aging actor in the movie "Lost In Translation" who is set to film a commercial for Suntory whiskey. The ad placement promotes the product while seamlessly fading into the movie as just a piece of the action and not forcing it down the viewers throats, so to speak.

I know there are tons of other great examples of mixing celebrities and booze out there so tell me if you think there's one better than the ones above. I've been without cable for the last few years, so I'm sure there are much more relevant ones out there. Keep your imagination at full throttle folks and keep sharing it with the world.