In the wake of Diageo’s acquisition of Aviation American Gin, Ryan Reynolds wrote a hilarious out-of-office apology.
The world’s largest spirits company, Diageo (DEO), has snapped up Ryan Reynold’s gin brand, Aviation American Gin, in a deal worth an estimated US$610 million.
Aviation Gin is the latest celebrity-backed spirits brand to be acquired by Diageo, having previously bought George Clooney’s tequila brand, Casamigos, in 2017 for US$700 million. This deal comes at a time when Diageo’s sales are plummeting from restaurant and bar closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s sales for the year ending in June shrank by 8.4%.
Diageo’s existing gin brands such as Tanqueray, Gilbey’s and Gordon’s, make up 5% of the company’s global net sales, and dropped by 4% during the year. According to data from alcohol sales-tracking company IWSR, Aviation American Gin was one of the fastest-growing brands in the super-premium gin category, noting its sales volume that doubled in 2019. Diageo will pay US$335 million upfront for Aviation Gin, then up to US$275 million more based on the company’s performance within the next decade, and Reynolds will maintain an ownership interest in Aviation.
Diago has also announced the acquisition of Astral Tequila, Sombra Mezcal, and TYKU Sake through the deal with Aviation Gin LLC and Davos Brands LLC.
To commemorate the deal, the Deadpool actor set up his email at Aviation Gin with a hilarious out-of-office message, apologising to a list of people, including his wife Blake Lively, for jokingly telling them “to go f— themselves in the last 24 hours” after discovering how much money he would make in the sale.
“Thanks for your email. I am currently out of the office but will still be very hard at work selling Aviation Gin. For quite a long time, it seems,” read the auto-response. “In related news, I just learned what an ‘earn out’ is… And I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone I told to go f— themselves in the last 24 hours. My lawyers just explained how long it takes to achieve an ‘earn out’…so…turns out I’m not as George Clooney as I thought. The point is, to those listed below, I’m sorry… And I’ll indeed be needing your help in the coming months and years. Thanks in advance!”
Reynolds then listed the names following the message: “Mom, Blake, Peter, Diageo CEO, The Rock, George Clooney, Southern Glazer’s, Betty White, TGI Friday’s, Baxter, Calisthenics, AMC Theaters, Total Wine, The Number 8, Don Saldino, Darden, The Head of Aldredo Garcia, Soothing Lavender Eye Pillows.”
