Ketel One Vodka Selects Weber Shandwick as Public Relations Agency of Record

Monday, January 28, 2008 ALISO VIEJO, January 28, 2008 – Weber Shandwick today announced it has been selected as agency of record for Nolet Spirits U.S.A. to support the Ketel One Vodka brand on a national level following a competitive agency review.

Weber Shandwick’s consumer and corporate practices will launch a proactive effort to raise the company's profile and drive consumer awareness and understanding of the brand. Programs will include brand and corporate positioning, consumer marketing, media relations and events. Ketel One Vodka is an ultra-premium vodka produced at the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Holland, using recipes and techniques perfected and passed on from father to son for ten generations since 1691.

“Weber Shandwick demonstrated a clear understanding of our brand and offers a breadth of experience - in consumer marketing, spirits and corporate communications," said William L. Eldien, President and CEO of Nolet Spirits U.S.A. “We look forward to working with them to tell the Ketel One Vodka story.” 

“Ketel One Vodka's unique positioning and 300-year heritage are great brand assets that we'll surely leverage as we develop compelling ways to tell the Ketel One Vodka story," said Jennifer Vides Blake, senior vice president of the consumer marketing practice for Weber Shandwick California. “The brand is a great complement to our roster of beverage and luxury brand clients and we are thrilled to be on the Ketel One Vodka team."

About Ketel One Vodka
For ten generations, the Nolet family has been distilling the finest spirits using recipes perfected by Joannes Nolet and his successors at the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Holland. Ketel One, named after the original Distilleerketel #1, is made in small batches using traditional copper pot stills, filtered through charcoal and rested in tile lined tanks until perfect. This handcrafted approach yields vodka that possesses refined elegance, distinctive smoothness and unmatched quality. For more information on Ketel One Vodka and to view step-by-step demonstrations for preparing ten classic cocktails, visit Ketel One’s website at http://www.KetelOne.com/. About Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is a leading global public relations agency with offices in 77 markets around the world. The firm’s success is built on its deep commitment to client service, creativity, collaboration and harnessing the power of Advocates - engaging stakeholders in new and creative ways to build brands and reputation. Weber Shandwick provides strategy and execution across practices such as consumer marketing, healthcare, technology, public affairs, corporate/financial and crisis management. Its specialized services include digital/social media, advocacy advertising, market research, and corporate responsibility. Weber Shandwick was recognized as PRWeek’s 2009 Global Agency Report Card Gold Medal Winner, named Global Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report and Large PR Firm of the Year by PR News in 2008. The firm also won the United Nations Grand Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Relations for a lifestyles educational campaign in India. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com.