W+K London takes the macho approach in first campaign for Brown-Forman’s Maximus vodka

Whatever happened to metrosexuals? The current flavour of the year in London’s adland is macho ‘manliness,’ we saw it last week with M&C Saatchi’s campaign for HP Sauce and now Wieden+Kennedy London has enlisted it in its debut campaign for Southern Comfort maker Brown-Forman’s (appropriately entitled) Maximus vodka. Wasn’t Maximus the Russell Crowe character in Gladiator?

W+K and B-F reckon that today’s young men are in need of empowerment in a world of economic worry and doubt. So “whenever a young man sees a piece of Maximus communication, wherever it might be; he should feel empowered to harness his manly qualities within.”

ECD Tony Davidson adds (tongue not that far from his cheek possibly): “The campaign works off the premise that with global manliness in decline, Maximus is the vodka that champions real men. We aim to encourage all forms of manliness and usher in a new golden age of masculinity.”

The pan-European campaign, called ‘Rise and Conquer,’ broke in the Maximus home territory of Poland and will be rolled out to the rest of Europe this year. It features some very nice illustrations by American artist Mort Kunstler.