The world of sports wields a peculiar power capable of monumental shifts! It has, throughout history, bridged divides of race and wealth, even influencing matters. Yet, it is impossible to overlook the vast commercial dimension that soccer commands. A case in point: soccer maestro Cristiano Ronaldo‘s nod towards water over coke caused ripples in the stock market. The adulation bestowed upon sports figures is, perhaps, unparalleled.

Today, in another very amusing episode, we dive deeper into how the sale of Johnnie Walker has been boosted in Latin America by a resurfaced 2011 clip from a soccer coach speaking about the drink. You read that right! The Scottish Whiskey’s sales were boosted in South America after former Argentina national coach Alfio ‘Coco’ Basile spoke favorably.

Former Soccer Coach Basile’s Love For Johnnie Walker

Alfio ‘Coco’ Basile is the most renowned in soccer and the only man to have ever coached Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. He headed the Argentine national soccer team in 1991-1994 and 2006-2008. A debt of gratitude is owed by Johnnie Walker to Basile for his spoken love letter during an interview.

Basile appeared on the popular TV show Marca y Presión on the sports channel TyC Sports. In a more extended conversation about soccer and Argentina, the interviewer asked Basile about his favorite whisky. Without missing a step, he replied: “The best in the world? Johnnie Walker Blue Label. I drink Johnnie Walker Black Label but when it’s a special occasion I drink Blue Label. It’s an elixir and the other one is a whisky.”

He continued talking about his favorite whiskeys, claiming “You drink one and the other one you savor.” He added that Black Label was “a strong drink for after 6pm.” Meanwhile, said, Blue Label can be had at any time of the day. “You can drink it in the morning and it will never give you heartburn or gastritis or anything. It’s an elixir,” Basile said.

The Viral Sensation: Impact of Basile’s Words

Since resurfacing, the clip has scored with the smooth jazz track ‘Quarto de Hotel’ by Hareton Salvanini. The tone of Basile’s gravelly voice set to the jazz score has made the clip viral, amassing 245 million views. Meanwhile, those clips have also generated over 10 million views on YouTube. Basile’s virality has crossed Argentine borders and spread to Chile, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, and Spain.

So far, many publications have picked up the clip and the story. Meanwhile, Basile has been credited for the rise in Johnnie Walker sales. Colombian website Pulzo reported: “Many will have been left curious and to satisfy their curiosity will have gone to supermarkets to see if they could buy the whisky.” The truth is that it is not cheap and most probably, for the average citizen, they would have to have a whip-round.

Watch This Story: Hollywood Star Lampoons Texas A&M Coach Jimbo Fisher after His Consistent Losses