‘Trump vodka’ could be sold in Russia – reports
The Russian software company RAU IT is hoping to cash in Donald Trump’s US election victory by selling drinks, including spirits and mineral water, branded ‘Trumpovka,’ RBK reported on Monday.
Russia’s intellectual property service, Rospatent, has registered an application to patent drinks named after the US president-elect. According to the International Classification of Goods and Services, the ‘Trumpovka’ trademark will allow the production of beer, wine and strong alcohol, as well as sports drinks and non-alcoholic cocktails.
Application data on Rospatent’s website shows that the label of the Trump vodka will feature a silhouette of Donald Trump holding an accordion. The St. Petersburg-based company explained that it views drinks production as a way to diversify its business, which currently focuses on software development, and has subsidiaries of Rosatom, Lukoil and Gazprom among its clients.
“We thought that in the wake of the hype surrounding the US presidential election, some alcohol producers would start to produce vodka that resembles the name of Donald Trump,” the company told the outlet.
“So, we have preemptively filed an application for the trademark ‘Trumpovka’ so that the news peg would not play into the hands of companies that want to increase alcohol sales due to high-profile news.”
Similar moves have been made in the past. Several years after Vladimir Putin became Russia’s president, ‘Putinka’ vodka was released. The brand was a top seller, and the marketing move was seen as a success.
So far it is unclear when Trumpovka could hit the shelves, but other Trump-related merchandise is already entering the Russian marketplace, according to Mosckvich Mag.
While relations between Moscow and Washington are still tense over the Ukraine conflict, online shoppers in Russia are rushing to buy t-shirts depicting Trump with a backdrop of the Russian flag and double-headed eagle, and the slogan “I am Russian”.
