Ricky Gervais, comedian and co-owner of Ellers Farm Distillery, has been granted creative control over marketing for the business and is taking an unconventional approach to attracting attention to a brand that aspires to be one of the top vodkas in the world.Dionysus Wines/Supplied
Actor and comedian Ricky Gervais has been bringing his awkward, discomforting humour to a new endeavour: making Ellers Farm Distillery famous.
As co-owner of the North Yorkshire distillery, Gervais was granted creative control over their marketing messages. While some of his ads promote the taste of the apple-based Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka and the distillery’s sustainability efforts, most lean into the evils of alcohol and are peppered with choice language.
In one social media post, Gervais describes how Dutch Barn’s distinctive brown bottle is recyclable so it’s good for the environment, but the vodka it contains is bad for people.Dionysus Wines/Supplied
In one social-media post, he says alcohol is a “foul-tasting liquid that ruins lives.” In another, he explains Dutch Barn’s distinctive brown bottle is recyclable so it’s good for the environment, but the vodka it contains is bad for people.
“It’s great because people get to see behind the curtain,” says Gervais, who continues to be active as a stand-up, bringing his Mortality world tour to Toronto and Montreal in August. The Globe spoke with Gervais about his unconventional approach to attract attention to a fledging brand that aspires to be one of the top vodkas in the world.
It would seem many alcohol brands would welcome your celebrity endorsement. What attracted you to join forces with an apple-based vodka from Yorkshire?
I’ve never really been interested in adverts. One of the first things I turned down was a gin advert in America. They offered me a ridiculous amount of money. This is different because it involved being a co-owner, and Chris [Fraser, founder of Ellers Farm Distillery] said he wanted to make it a global brand, he wanted me to make it famous, and I could do what I wanted.
Having creative control was key. You’ve said you first shared a series of advertisements to ensure they would be okay with your approach.
The ability to say whatever I want about it really excited me. I said, “Let me make the adverts and then you can decide if you still want me…” It was a no-brainer. I could do something creative. It was exciting to be doing this honest advertising.
Ontario is one of Dutch Barn’s first export markets outside of Europe. Was that a nod to your Canadian heritage?
I am 50 per cent Canadian, which, in Canada, means I’m 100 per cent. My dad was born on a farm in Pain Court, near Chatham, Ontario. He volunteered for the war. I don’t have many pictures but there’s one of him in his uniform in 1942 or so. So, it’s come full circle. My dad’s family were farmers and now, officially I’m a farmer. If ever there’s a war and they run out of people and need 63-year-olds, I’ll say, “I’d love to, but I’ve got to tend to the orchard.”
The explicit nature of your adverts certainly set Dutch Barn apart.
Much of Gervais’s messaging for the brand takes a satirical approach and leans into the evils of alcohol and is peppered with choice language.Dionysus Wines/Supplied
It’s been fun. Apart from a couple of surprises, I knew which ones would be held back and banned. I don’t want to water anything down, so we put those on the internet where we are allowed to do that. I think we have had three that were allowed on TV, ones with just me and the dog. I didn’t swear in front of the dog out of respect.
I shouldn’t talk too much out of school, but instead of saying, “Oh, this is good for you,” I went the other way and said things like: “This is terrible for you. This is a poison. This will kill you.” But then we were told that you can’t put that on telly. Why not? I’m just telling the truth.
Despite that satirical approach, aren’t you still offering an implicit message about responsible drinking?
On a personal level, I don’t want to turn people into alcoholics. I drink in moderation and what goes with that is that you drink the best. If you have a glass of wine, make it a really good glass. It’s just not about volume. It is about taste, lifestyle and experience. I think that comes across as well.
We wouldn’t put this much work into it. We could make things 10 times easier for ourselves. We don’t have to distill it the way that we do. We could cheat and cut corners. This is a pursuit of excellence. I like trying my best at stuff now. I like the struggle. I really like the challenge.
That earnest attitude might surprise people familiar with your sardonic public persona.
There’s a lot of marketing in that as well. You know, saying, “I don’t care.” I go out [on stage] with a beer and people think, “Oh, he might be drunk.” I never am. It’s live and I could say anything, but it’s all considered. I’ve really worked on those jokes.
The funny thing that came out of the Golden Globes [Awards ceremony] wasn’t that I was seen to be outrageous but rather that I was honest, so you don’t want to blow that. You don’t want to let yourself down. And that’s why for the marketing I thought if we always tell the truth then we can’t go wrong. If we always tell the truth, no one can complain: “You said this makes you stronger.” No, I didn’t. I said it was bad for your liver.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
