Bailey's latest appearance comes as he embarks on a new partnership with the iconic Italian brand
Credit: Dave Benett/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Jonathan Bailey stepped out in Milan to celebrate his debut as the new Martini Man, sporting a sharp suit and chest-baring shirt
- The Bridgerton and Wicked star recently told PEOPLE that his “love for Italy” made partnering with the brand a “no-brainer”
- Bailey’s appearance marks the start of a new multi-year partnership with the iconic Italian aperitivo brand
Jonathan Bailey knows how to make an entrance.
The Bridgerton and Wicked star, 38, stepped out in Milan on Thursday to celebrate his debut as the new Martini Man, turning heads in a tailored charcoal-gray suit paired with a buttoned collarless shirt that offered a subtle flash of chest. PEOPLE's reigning Sexiest Man Alive completed the sleek look with dark sunglasses and a gold watch.
The event marked Bailey's first official appearance as the face of the iconic Italian aperitivo brand, kicking off a new multi-year partnership that the actor says felt like a natural fit.
Credit: Dave Benett/Getty
"My love for Italy knows no bounds—the food, the culture and the people—so it was a no-brainer," Bailey recently told PEOPLE exclusively. "It's my place of calm. I've been going there every year for the last 15 years and I cycle there every year. I grew up with Martini in the house and there's nothing more sophisticated and sort of sexy than a Martini spritz."
Held at Palazzo Chiesa, the intimate gathering gave guests a first look at Bailey's new campaign with the brand while celebrating his official introduction as Martini Man, according to a press release.
The role carries a certain legacy, something Bailey is well aware of.
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Credit: Dave Benett/Getty
"So we celebrated the Martini spritz last summer and how you would go 'off script,'" he told PEOPLE of his previous work with the company. "And then this year they've invited me to be The Martini Man. I know it's a big and bold legacy and I hope I do all the Martini men and all the Italian people proud."
The partnership includes a new short film and portrait series starring Bailey. In the campaign, he arrives at an estate outside Venice in a vintage Martini racing car before being guided through a series of playful rituals on his journey to becoming Martini Man.
"It just shows the creativity surrounding these campaigns and to shoot in one of the most beautiful places on earth can't be too hard," Bailey told PEOPLE. "It was everything that I think a summer aperitivo should be."
Credit: Dave Benett/Getty
For Bailey, the campaign also taps into years of personal memories spent traveling through Italy.
"I always just think about the experiences that I've had in Italy, cycling through the Tuscan hills or Salento," he told PEOPLE. "Then you stop and if you're with friends and the sun is setting and you've been in the sea, those memories you take with you with a martini spritz all around the world."
"That's what I feel when I have a spritz," he continued. "It immediately connects to that Italian elegance and it's just relaxed. There's no effort needed. I definitely start the night with a spritz, always."
Following the launch, Martini's traveling aperitivo pop-up, Terrazza Martini, is set to visit cities including Milan, Barcelona, Berlin, St. Tropez, Venice and New York, according to the release.
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