Bruce Willis gets his share
2009-12-22 22:24
Paris - Bruce Willis, the face of Belvedere's Sobieski vodka, will be paid with a stake in the French drinks company for a four-year extension to his contract that will see the actor getting involved in marketing.
Willis, best known for the Die Hard movies, will get a 3.3% stake, or 83 000 shares, to continue to promote Sobieski worldwide, the company said on Tuesday.
The stock will be transferred in January, Chief Executive Jacques Rouvroy said. France's Belvedere sought protection from creditors in July 2008 after breaking a bond covenant and has introduced a restructuring plan involving asset sales to help it exit the French "safeguard" procedure.
Rouvroy said Belvedere was pursuing the sale of its Marie Brizard liqueur brand.
A spokesperson for La Reunion-based cane sugar and rum group Quartier Francais confirmed it had "been in contact" with Belvedere about the disposal.
No decision
"We are in the process of selling... There's no decision yet," Rouvroy said by phone, adding that the company aimed to decide on a buyer by June 30.
Rouvroy was responding to a Les Echos newspaper report that the company should receive more than five offers for Marie Brizard, with potential buyers including Quartier Francais and spirits firm La Martiniquaise.
La Martiniquaise did not immediately reply to an e-mail seeking comment. Belvedere said it would not comment on details of possible bidders for Marie Brizard, which it said is sold in 130 countries.
The company's shares were up 8.2% at €34.52 at 16:04 GMT, giving it a market value of some €86m.
"I would say it's due to the news on Marie Brizard," said a Paris-based analyst who declined to be named.