Following years of creating some of the most memorable, iconic images in advertising history, SKYY® Vodka, the number-one selling domestic super-premium vodka in the U.S., announced today its first-ever television advertising campaign for the brand: “Passion for Perfection.”  The campaign is the living embodiment of SKYY’s essence and proprietary distillation process – a perfect balance of sleek, modern style and an obsessive desire for quality.

Never afraid to push the envelope, SKYY Vodka over the years revolutionized the vodka industry with sexy and thought-provoking print advertising shot by world famous photographers, such as David LaChapelle, Matthew Rolston and Moshe Brakha. With the brand’s first broadcast spot in its 20-year history, SKYY’s insistence on excellence and innovation led to a partnership with ad agency of record Lambesis, the creators of the Passion for Perfection campaign; the Academy Award-winning digital studio Digital Domain; and its commercial production arm, Mothership. Digital Domain has created visuals for more than 90 movies, including the “Transformers” series, “Titanic”, “TRON: Legacy”, and the recent jaw-dropping performance of “virtual” Tupac Shakur at The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Festival.  Mothership director Sil Van Der Woerd developed the visual language for the SKYY campaign which will launch with a 60-second film that goes beyond the borders of a traditional television commercial.

“For our first time on television with our SKYY Vodka brand, our DNA demanded we do something amazing and eye-catching,” said Umberto Luchini, Head of Marketing, Campari America.  “After seeing the Tupac Shakur hologram at Coachella, we knew we had teamed with the right production company to take our brand essence of sexy style, exceptional quality, and, of course, our iconic blue bottle to the small screen in over-the-top fashion.”

The spot’s breakthrough, fantastical approach reflects the cutting-edge style and attitude of Digital Domain, Mothership, Lambesis and SKYY Vodka.  The fantasy narrative begins with a sweeping aerial shot of a shining glacier leading to an ultra modern distillery set against a pristine snow-covered landscape. Inside, fun and flirtatious choreography propels gorgeous young workers operating futuristic chrome and glass machinery, passionately producing super premium vodka infused with SKYY’s unmistakable glamour and style.

“The challenge for us on the Passion for Perfection campaign was how to condense SKYY’s 20 years of innovation, quality and style into a 60-second commercial,” said Mothership’s Van Der Woerd.  “The aesthetic we wanted was both organic and sleek. We drew inspiration from some of our most memorable film work and modern architecture to create digital environments that captured the brand’s essence and took the piece somewhere beyond the imagination, yet firmly grounded in the attributes that have made SKYY one of the most recognizable brands in the world.”

Shot with minimal live action using models against green screen and few props, the commercial’s interior and exterior environments and all liquids – the complex visual center of the campaign – are 100% digital, created by Digital Domain.  The spot is scored by Polyamorous Affair’s “White Hot Magic” to create an underlying seductive vibrancy that celebrates the iconic cobalt blue SKYY Vodka bottle with an aesthetic that is both organic and sleek with a premier and accessible vibe.

The SKYY Passion for Perfection campaign will first appear on July 19 on national general consumer television and in online executions. Media includes Bravo, ESPN, ESPN2, Comedy Central, TBS, E! Network, and hulu, among others. These spots will be accompanied by digital site takeovers, rich digital media, billboards, transit, and large-format wall installations in the U.S. rolling out throughout 2012.

The SKYY Passion for Perfection advertising campaign was developed by Lambesis of La Jolla, CA.  Behind the scenes footage of the making of the campaign will be unveiled to SKYY’s loyal fans first through SKYY’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/skyyvodka) and Twitter pages (@skyyvodka).  A historical perspective of SKYY’s advertising can be found in The Lounge section of SKYY.com.