- Kenneth Hein

If anyone knows how to celebrate, it's Sean "Diddy" Combs. His "White Parties" in the Hamptons are legendary for both its guest list and press coverage. Beginning Oct. 8, Diddy will attempt to explain "The Art of Celebration" to the rest of us in TV ads for Ciroc Vodka.

Owned by Diageo, the ultrapremium vodka launched in 2003. However, Ciroc has failed to achieve the success of rivals Grey Goose, Ketel One and others. Enter Diddy. Last fall, the hip-hop king signed a multiyear deal that reportedly will give him half of the brand's profits. In the end it could mean as much as $100 million for the rapper.

Ciroc, which unlike most vodka is made from grapes, "started out strong, but hit a ceiling," said Arthur Shapiro, alcohol industry consultant at AM Shapiro and Associates, New York. "It was in nowhere land. It's getting a lot of attention now because of Diddy. The early signs are that the partnership is working . . . When he says drink, you drink.”

Fittingly, Diddy, who is CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment, makes his debut as the brand spokesman to the strains of the original Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra. A 30-second spot, shot in black and white, features Sinatra's "Come Fly with Me."

Clad in tuxedos, Diddy and his "Rat Pack" (consisting of producer Seven, Chuck Bone, Lord Lucas and DJ Richie Rich) enjoy Ciroc cocktails with their lady friends.

Diageo has spent modestly behind the brand over the years. Last year it doled out $4 million in U.S. media and the year before $2.4 million, largely for print ads, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus. This year, however, it already matched last year's total spend and that number is about to soar thanks to the TV buy.

Still, the No. 1 spirits company hedged its bets by taking a 50% stake in Ketel One for a reported $900 million earlier this year. Diageo also owns the No. 1 spirit in the country, Smirnoff Vodka.

Smirnoff this month is launching a 15-second social responsibility TV spot in conjunction with the upcoming James Bond film Quantum of Solace. The spot says: “Always shaken, never stirred. Stay in control. A message from Smirnoff, James Bond’s vodka.”

Lead by Smirnoff's 9.1% surge in case sales, vodka's U.S. volume grew 5% last year, per Impact, New York.