Celebrity spirits – pet project or moneymaker?

George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Mila Kunis and even Danny DeVito. Are stars attracted to spirit brands because they believe in the product, or just the money?

Early in the film Lost in Translation , Bill Murray’s character, an over-the-hill American actor in Japan to endorse Suntory whisky , is shooting an advert. He sits silently while the director yells instructions (in Japanese), with a translator on hand for guidance. With limited understanding, Murray delivers his lines only to be cut off repeatedly by the fiery director. The scene is genius because of Murray’s discomfort, his suspicion of the translator, and his...