Head of Planning Kevin Chesters headed off to Warsaw to take part in a debate on "The Decline of Manliness" for the official launch of our new"Rise & Conquer" campaign for Maximus vodka in one of the world's largest vodka markets – Poland.

Over a hundred journalists and bloggers were there to listen to a debate on the research that had been commissioned into manliness, and the threat to it from the modern world of male grooming and the decline of manly spaces and industries.

The space was adorned with illustrations by the amazing Mort Künstler, who has painted a series of proprietary canvases for use on all the Maximus marketing materials. He is the manliest of illustrators and has been making manly illustration since the 1950s. More here on manly Mort.

Despite not speaking a word of Polish, Chesters manfully joined the panel discussion and talked the assembled throng (including many women…) through the campaign.

Time to raise a glass… to being men.

"I am Chesters and I am man. Hear me roar!"