Del Toro is the 2011 Campari Man

Oscar winning actor, Benicio Del Toro becomes the first Campari Man, taking on the lead role previously held by some of the world's most beautiful women, including the 2010 star, Quantum of Solace Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko, Salma Hayek, Eva Mendes and Jessica Alba.

For the 12th edition, it has taken a unique approach to the calendar, taking inspiration from the power of cinema. The Red Affair seeks to capture the audience through an engaging and intriguing cinematic story told through a series of photographs. In order to achieve this through still images alone, Campari wanted a lead actor to star alongside the red drink who could bring as much passion and authenticity to an image as he did in film and found this in Benicio Del Toro.

The calendar tells the intriguing story of a charismatic art connoisseur (Del Toro), who receives a mysterious message setting him on a fascinating adventure to discover its meaning, crack a ring of illegal art dealers and rescue a beautiful woman. The company teamed up with Les Enfants Pictures, led by Enrica de Biasi, to conceive and produce the calendar. Ermenegildo Zegna, the luxury Italian menswear brand, provided Del Toro's exclusive wardrobe.

Comte style, flair

Internationally acclaimed photographer Michel Comte has shot the calendar in classic, direct style. He has created a cinematic feel by capturing the action - moments of both drama and intimacy - as it unfolds. Comte has sought to produce images that are charged with heightened anticipation, passion and authenticity - this is best demonstrated in the penultimate scene when Comte has the female lead throwing a real glass of Campari over the villain.

The move from films to a series of stills was a new experience for Benicio Del Toro: "Telling a story through still images was a new challenge for me and required a different approach, playing more to the camera than I would when shooting a movie. What attracted me most to the calendar was The Red Affair's seductive story and for me and Michel Comte, it was important to mirror the vibrancy, style and intensity of the brand."

Comte describes the commitment to veracity in the calendar: "The images are very emotional, very Italian and very Campari. I seek to capture truth of the moment but also those in-between moments, before the action unfolds. During the shoot I wanted to preserve the authenticity of each shot, each expression and the interplay between our characters, maintaining a cinematic style at the same time. "

Limited edition

The Campari Calendar, of which only 9999 copies are printed, will not go on sale but will be distributed to friends of Campari internationally. For more information go to www.campari.com