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Influencer Jake Paul gets vodka bottle tattoo for US$250,000
Social media personality and professional boxer Jake Paul was paid US$250,000 in cash to get a tattoo of Au Vodka’s Blue Raspberry bottle on his arm as a promotional stunt for the British spirits brand.
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In a video uploaded to Au Vodka’s social media channels, DJ and partial owner Charlie Sloth brings an Au Vodka-branded golden suitcase of money to Paul, who then drinks some of the brand’s Blue Raspberry vodka while sitting in a golden throne, who then jokies that he “would have done this for free” before having the bottle inked onto his bicep.
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Paul is one of the biggest web celebrities, with 22 million Instagram followers and 20m YouTube subscribers. In recent years, he has made a highly lucrative pivot into professional boxing. On Sunday 26 February, he is due to box Tommy Fury in a long-awaited fight in Saudi Arabia (where alcohol is prohibited). Last year, Forbes estimated his net worth to be US$38m, and he was also the 46th highest-paid athlete in the world.
Au Vodka is also enjoying social media success, thanks in part to Sloth’s fame, as well as collaborations with high-profile influencers and artists, such as Yung Filly, Chinese Kitty and Moneybagg Yo, the latter of whom has 8.5m Instagram followers.
The brand was founded in Wales in 2015 by Charlie Morgan, who inadvertently shot to fame in 2013 as a ballboy at Swansea City when he was kicked by then-Chelsea FC player Eden Hazard.
Reaction to the stunt with Paul has been mixed:
“Why did we give this guy any more money than he has?”
“He’s getting that covered up as soon as it heals.”
“There’s levels to marketing…..this is it.”
“This isn’t a challenge, you’re just paying him to do something.”
“I’ll get that on my forehead for US$100.”
Spirits have become big business for some internet personalities: YouTube Collective The Sidemen recently won a listing with Morrisons for their sell-out XIX Vodka.
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