John Ayling wins UK vodka launch

John Ayling and Associates has been appointed by First Drinks Brands to handle the £1m media planning and buying business for the UK launch of Russian Standard Vodka.

The range, which includes Russian Standard Original, Platinum and Imperia, will be positioned as a premium spirit aimed at aspirational 18to 34-year-olds who appreciate “quality over quantity”.

The launch will be supported by a TV campaign, created by McCann Erickson, and consumer promotions.

Chris Mason, managing director of First Drinks Brands, the exclusive UK distributors of the range, says/ “The time is right to introduce a new quality vodka in the UK, and we have ambitious growth plans for the next five years.”

Russian Standard is available in 40 markets worldwide and has gained a 60% share of the premium vodka market in Russia since it launched in 1998. Last year the brand sold 1.4 million cases globally, a figure dwarfed by the sales of Smirnoff, which sold 26 million cases globally in the same period.

Russian Standard is the brainchild of entrepreneur Roustam Tariko, and is among the fastest-growing premium brands. Tariko’s empire includes the Russian Standard Bank – the country’s first consumer finance bank.