Announcing the Ciroc Deal on DiddyTV

Beyond the initial press release, here are some Diddy quotes from the AP regarding his 50/50 Ciroc vodka brand management deal with Diageo:

"It is not an endorsement deal…This is something that will have my daily attention."

"I’m not just a celebrity endorser, I’m a brand builder. I’m a luxury brand builder."

Diddy says he will "focus on attracting ‘movers and shakers’ to the line":

"They’re looking for something that tastes like their lifestyle..It’s that trendsetter, that hipster, someone who’s looking for luxury and looking for something better"

"I can’t overhype someone into loving vodka," he said. But once consumers actually taste Ciroc, "I think we can convert a lot of people."

So how do you convert people on taste with a liquor that’s known for it’s lack thereof?

You call Diddy!

Actually folks in the know say there’s quite a clear difference if you drink it straight up.  Here’s what an informal taste testing group had to say about Ciroc Vodka’s distinctive taste:

The hoity-toity accent circumflex reveals Cîroc’s nationality, and a smartly tapered purplish bottle hints at the spirit’s source—grapes grown in the Gaillac and Cognac regions of southwest France. Grape-based vodkas are something of a novelty, and Cîroc, which was introduced in 2002, has positioned itself as a clear alternative to its wheat-based competitors, running clever advertisements that urged drinkers to "go against the grain."

But is Cîroc’s taste distinctive enough to win us over? As it happens, the panel did pick up on this vodka’s "viney, stemmy aftertaste," as well as "hints of orange and anise." And most of us agreed that the shots "went down smoothly" with "very little burn" and "a clean, crisp finish." In the end, though, we concluded that Cîroc was too distinct for its own good—that it was "a grappa, or eau de vie, trying to pass itself off as a vodka."

No word on how that translates into a mixed drink but it sounds like folks would notice the difference in taste in a drink made with a vodka-like "grappa, or eau de vie" than the same drink made with a less noticeable vodka.

That could be a good thing if folks encounter Ciroc in the context of the Diddy deluge, i.e., they’ll be expecting something distinctive rather than wondering why their drink tastes funny.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Diddy’s First Ciroc Vodka Commercial
Sean Combs "Behind the Scenes" at Ciroc Vodka Shoot
Diddy Goes 50/50 With Diageo for Ciroc Vodka