Sobieski Vodka To Spread the 'Truth in Vodka' With Bruce Willis

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., July 26  /PRNewswire/ -- Sobieski Vodka, the undisputed number one selling premium  vodka in Poland, is making moves in the North American market with its "Truth in Vodka" events in the coming months.  Sobieski will be honoring its Polish heritage and showcasing the brand's authenticity alongside industry experts and vodka lovers.  A-list actor Bruce Willis will be hitting the road with Sobieski, spreading the "Truth in Vodka," as the tour kicks off at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. The next stop is the Hotel Roosevelt in Los Angeles.  Sobieski will host additional events in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Toronto continuing into early 2011.  Mixologist Jon Ojinaga will debut the 'Golden Gate' cocktail in San Francisco, and in Los Angeles, Sean Hamilton will unveil the 'Traffic Jam.'

Bruce Willis is part-owner of the brand with 3.3% of its parent company's stock and stars in a series of webisodes with Sobieski's CEO, Krzysztof Trylinski, titled "Bruce Has Ideas."  These videos, featured on www.truthinvodka.com, poke fun at the marketing tricks and trendiness of other vodka brands.  Willis' latest big idea will be unveiled in webisodes at each of the "Truth in Vodka" events and virally through Facebook and Twitter.

Chester Brandes, CEO of Imperial Brands, explains, "We are thrilled to showcase Sobieski around the U.S. and Canada this year and to debut our new campaign with Bruce.  These events spread the truth about our brand and bring us one step closer to reaching our goal of having Sobieski be the fastest vodka brand to reach sales of 1 million cases in the U.S. in one calendar year."

ABOUT SOBIESKI VODKA

Sobieski Vodka, the #1 premium vodka in Poland and one of the world's bestselling and fastest growing vodka brands, makes no compromises on quality and exemplifies the height of Polish craftsmanship and authenticity.  Building on a noble heritage, Sobieski Vodka is produced exclusively from the revered Dankowski rye at the Starogard Gdanski distillery dating back to 1846.

In summer 2007, Sobieski Vodka launched its "Truth in Vodka" campaign in the U.S., declaring that consumers don't have to pay a king's ransom to get superb vodka. Sobieski's back-to-basics approach to marketing, which focuses on what goes in the bottle -- tradition, heritage, authenticity and taste -- is in marked contrast to competitors who rely on lavish packaging and gimmicky ad campaigns that have resulted in a deluge of overpriced vodkas.

Following a number of awards, starting with 2007's Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) honor, Sobieski Vodka was once again recognized as a "Hot Brand" by IMPACT magazine in 2009.  This marks the second year in a row the brand has been awarded this prestigious accolade. For more information and brand news, please visit www.truthinvodka.com, follow us (www.twitter.com/Sobieski_Vodka) or become a fan (www.Facebook.com/SobieskiVodka).

ABOUT IMPERIAL BRANDS, INC.

Imperial Brands, Inc. is an importer and marketer of distinctive wines and spirits. Headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., it is a U.S. subsidiary of Belvedere S.A., one of Europe's largest producers and distributors of white spirits and wines. Belvedere S.A. operates production and distribution units in Poland, France, Bulgaria, Lithuania and the United States and additionally owns subsidiaries in Russia, Spain, Scandinavia, Turkey, Panama and Brazil. For more information, please visit www.ibrandsinc.com

SOURCE Sobieski Vodka