Ketel One Vodka has signed a three-year endorsement deal with Arnold Palmer, the first time the brand has had an endorser, from sports or otherwise, in more than a decade of U.S. sales.
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| Simple text, plain background are par for the course in Ketel One campaign. |
The deal is in the mid-six figures per year and gives Ketel One rights to use Palmer's name in print ads worldwide. No likeness use or personal appearances are part of the deal.
The company will roll out ads later this month in popular golf magazines and custom magazines aimed at country club golfers, as part of a "several million-dollar" print budget behind Palmer this year, according to Bill Eldien, president of Nolet Spirits U.S.A., exclusive importer of Ketel One Vodka.
Round 2 Worldwide, Los Angeles, is handling the print buy for Ketel One. Most of the budget has not been allocated yet, as Ketel One places media on a quarterly basis, according to Jim Riley, senior special events manager for Ketel One.
The ad will follow in the brand's "Whispering Softly" campaign theme of simple text on a solid background. The Palmer ad reads simply, "Dear Ketel One Drinker, We know you're not influenced by what other people drink. However, we thought you might like to know Arnold Palmer drinks Ketel One."
Ketel One went over 1 million cases delivered for the first time in 2002 and reached 1.3 million cases last year. It is part of a large group of upscale vodkas that are gaining some ground on category leader Stolichnaya, which delivered 4.5 million cases in 2002, according to industry research groups.
Palmer has been a fan of Ketel One for several years — a published fact — but Eldien said the company believes the 74-year-old Palmer is a persuasive pitchman to golfers of all ages. "We've been cautious about using any celebrity, but if there's one who fits our tradition it would be Arnold Palmer," he said.
The deal was negotiated by Peter Jacobsen Productions, which handles Ketel One's sports marketing. It also manages the Ketel One Vodka Ultimate Challenge, a pro-am series that started in 2001 with five events and now encompasses 12, held at PGA Tour cities during tournament weeks.
