MARTINI & ROSSI® Reinvents Vermouth with Andy Warhol Inspired Cocktails

After collaborating to create an Ad Campaign for their vermouths in the late 1950s, MARTINI & ROSSI brings Warhol's iconic artwork and style back to life with a modern twist

MIAMI, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- From canvases to cocktails, MARTINI & ROSSI(R) has embarked on a new advertising and cocktail campaign -- The MARTINI Factory -- aimed at redefining vermouth and the art of the aperitif. The vermouth aperitif drinking occasion, hugely popular in Europe, has yet to take hold in the U.S. market where cocktails dominate popular culture. This new campaign offers consumers an array of innovative vermouth cocktails featuring contemporary ingredients.

The world's favorite vermouth, and the number-one imported vermouth in the United States, MARTINI & ROSSI has revived the original artwork created by Andy Warhol for a MARTINI & ROSSI Vermouth advertising campaign that ran in the late 1950s. These original works of art are being brought back to life in a series of modern print advertisements produced under license from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc., a New York not-for-profit corporation which promotes the visual arts. MARTINI & ROSSI will also unveil a collection of six innovative Warhol-inspired vermouth cocktails at an invitation-only MARTINI & ROSSI Warhol Factory party -- being held in NYC on August 6th -- what would have been Warhol's 80th birthday.

Before pioneering the Pop Art movement and becoming one of the most famous artists of all time, Andy Warhol was a highly sought after commercial artist in the advertising industry. MARTINI & ROSSI recognized his unique talent and commissioned him to develop an advertising campaign which ran in the U.S. from 1956-1963. It was during this time that Warhol began to develop his famed "blotted line" technique, which he used to create this series of four advertisements promoting vermouth cocktail usage in the United States. The 2008 campaign -- Warhol's Take on Taste -- will showcase the MARTINI & ROSSI brand, the versatility of vermouth and the extraordinary artwork Warhol originally created. These new MARTINI & ROSSI Vermouth advertisements will give a glimpse into the man himself; all with a contemporary twist that showcases the modern vermouth cocktails of the MARTINI & ROSSI brand.

"We are honored to collaborate with The Andy Warhol Foundation to bring to life the work of one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century to take MARTINI & ROSSI Vermouth in a bold new direction," says Michelle D. Beauchamp, Senior Brand Manager for MARTINI & ROSSI. "Andy Warhol changed the way the world viewed art, and MARTINI & ROSSI modern vermouth cocktails in true Warhol style, will change the way people enjoy vermouth, by opening them up to a new cocktail experience. The authenticity of Warhol's original MARTINI & ROSSI ad campaign enhances our new campaign and will resonate with modern day consumers through our MARTINI Factory cocktails."

The Warhol-inspired cocktails take MARTINI & ROSSI Vermouth into a bold new direction, not limited to a mere ingredient in a Martini cocktail or a Manhattan. Instead, the distinct flavors of each type of MARTINI & ROSSI Vermouth -- Extra Dry, Rosso, and Bianco -- are the main ingredient, but complemented with a variety of unexpected elements. Each cocktail masterpiece has been uniquely concocted and thoughtfully named to juxtapose the creative possibilities of MARTINI & ROSSI Vermouth with the progressive style of Andy Warhol. From the Velvet Edie to the Celebrity Crush, each glass is brimming with a refreshing perspective on MARTINI & ROSSI Vermouth with a splash of Warhol. These cocktails have been designed to be created in an assembly line manner, reminiscent of Warhol's artistic "Factory" style.

In his time, Warhol's celebrity and larger-than-life persona transcended the art he created. He immortalized the people and products of his era and found a way to express beauty in a way that challenged people. Inspired by Warhol's style and taste, MARTINI & ROSSI through their modern vermouth cocktails and new advertising campaign, is revolutionizing the art of the aperitif.

"The foundation is thrilled to work with MARTINI & ROSSI, an organization that is clearly inspired by Warhol's ability to make the ordinary extraordinary," says Michael Hermann, Director of Licensing, at the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. MARTINI & ROSSI was ahead of the curve when they identified Warhol's talents in 1956 and they are once again ahead of the curve with this campaign that redefines vermouth and the art of the aperitif."

This summer, MARTINI & ROSSI will be working with leading restaurants and bars to launch these cocktails in several key markets including New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., New Orleans and Savannah. MARTINI & ROSSI encourages all Warhol fans, old and new, to sip and reminisce as they enjoy these original cocktails, all of which have been shaken and stirred with Warhol's distinct style.