Ryan Reynolds is taking a page out of George Clooney’s book and is diving into the alcohol business. Reynolds has purchased an ownership interest in Davos Brands’ Aviation Gin, after he was “won over by its taste,” according to a company statement. The Deadpool actor made the purchase after Clooney sold his tequila company last year to Diageo Plc for $1 billion, which showed how celebrity involvement can boost a brand’s profile. Other companies outside the alcohol business have profited from celebrity involvement. Oprah Winfrey became an investor and promoter of Weight Watchers International Inc. in 2015 and the company has seen its shares’ value more than quintuple since. However, it may be hard for Reynolds to match Clooney’s payday with gin. The liquor doesn’t have tequila’s appeal as a growth story, writes Bloomberg, and gin volumes in the U.S. declined 0.6 percent from 2016 to 2017. Meanwhile, tequila volumes gained 8.5 percent in the same period. Aviation says that Reynolds will play an active role in the business. His email signature on his Aviation address sends a different message though, since it reads, “I don’t know whose idea it was to allow me into the gin business, but I can assure you, there are smarter, more reasonable people in charge,” according to Bloomberg.
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