Elite vodka scandal: military man outraged by using his face in advertising without permission
The Ukrainian alcohol producer “Presidential Standard” found itself at the center of a scandal due to the use of footage from the war, including the face of military man Volodymyr Demchenko, without his permission. About this Demchenko reported on his Facebook page, posting a video of a promotional gift set of elite vodka.
The gift set consists of a bottle of vodka, three glasses and a case with a built-in screen. When opening the case, footage from the war, including Volodymyr Demchenko’s face, is shown on the screen, accompanied by the popular song “Good evening, we are from Ukraine”. The cost of such a set is 11,989 hryvnias at the promotional price, and earlier it was sold for 13 thousand hryvnias.
The outraged military man stated in his post:
“Friends, some mega elite vodka has used without permission not only our footage taken in the war, but also my face! And is selling it all together with a vodka kit. Please advise an attorney who can advise on this matter and help explain to these poor businessmen that they are wrong.”
It is noted that the producer of this alcoholic product is Zhytomyr Liquor and Vodka Factory. On the company’s official website, “Presidential Standard” vodka is presented as an elite class product. Its description states that it is the official drink of state and international events of the highest level held in Ukraine.
This case caused a wave of indignation among the public, especially among the military, who consider it unacceptable to use images of defenders of Ukraine for commercial purposes without their consent. Currently, Volodymyr Demchenko is looking for legal support to bring the manufacturers to justice.
The situation drew public attention to the problem of ethics in the use of military themes in commercial advertising. Military personnel who risk their lives every day expect their efforts to be respected, not turned into marketing tools.
