Polish vodka Wyborowa hands global task to W&K

Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam has been appointed to handle the global advertising account for Wyborowa, the Polish vodka brand owned and distributed by Pernod Ricard. It is believed that the business is worth about 2m.

Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam has been appointed to handle the global advertising account for Wyborowa, the Polish vodka brand owned and distributed by Pernod Ricard. It is believed that the business is worth about £2m.

W&K won the account following a three-way pitch against incumbent Y&R Paris and Ogilvy & Mather London. It will produce work for Wyborowa’s key markets, which include Europe, Central and Latin America and Asia.

Wyborowa called the pitch earlier this year (MW September 7) to support the brand’s launch in international markets and increase sales outside Europe.

The pitch was overseen by international sales and marketing director Yves Schladenhaufen, who says: “Vodka is the hottest category among premium spirits and Wyborowa has an encouraging track record to date, but we will be working with Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam to develop a communication strategy for the brand.”

Wyborowa has been launched in a number of new markets, such as Brazil and Malaysia, in the past year. Single Estate, the super-premium version, is a rye-based vodka with a bottle created by architect Frank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Other variants include Pure, Dzika Rose, Swieza Lemon and Soczysta Orange.

The vodka was one of Pernod Ricard’s fastest-growing brands last year, with value sales climbing by 19%. Last year, the company launched a strategy to promote Wyborowa cocktails to professional bartenders.