Cinzano of the vermouth market in Europe was measured in the low single digits, sales that placed it a distant second to Martini. As a result of a 1997 merger, Grand Metropolitan became Diageo; two years later, Diageo sold Cinzano to the privately held Gruppo Campari. The Cinzano bicycling team had a central role in the film "Breaking Away". Cinzano was well known in Britain for its humorous television advertisements featuring Leonard Rossiter and Joan Collins. One of these featured the pair on a plane journey, with Rossiter accidentally hitting the "recline" switch on Collins chair, causing her to spill a
Joan Collins Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in London, Collins grew up during the Second World War. After making her stage debut in the Henrik Ibsen play "A Doll's House" at the age of nine, she trained as an actress at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. She then signed an exclusive contract with the Rank Organisation and appeared in various British films. At age 22 in 1955, Collins headed to Hollywood and landed sultry roles in several popular films, including "The Girl in the Red