Sponsorship deals with sporting teams can be fraught with danger, as French drinks industry heavyweights Pernod Ricard discovered this week.
Pernod Ricard announced a partnership with Paris Saint-Germain - but quickly dropped the deal after fans of bitter rivals Olympique Marseille dubbed the drinks giant a “band of traitors” and threatened to boycott its products, the drinks business website reported..
Pernod Ricard was to become the sole Champagne and spirits provider to the club, covering PSG’s men’s and women’s football teams as official partner.
Due to France’s strict prohibition of advertising of alcohol or directly sponsoring sport, the four-year deal would not have seen Pernod Ricard become a shirt sponsor for the team, but would have seen the brand promoted internationally.
Pernod Ricard is one of the major producers of anise-flavoured aperitif pastis, a drink that is synonymous with the city of Marseille and its surrounds.
Fans of Olympique Marseille, the city’s Ligue 1 football club, were outraged to hear of a partnership between their biggest rival and the drinks company. Pernod Ricard, which produces Ricard Pastis, announced the partnership on Monday.
One fan dubbed the company a “bande de traîtres” [band of traitors] on X, formerly known as Twitter. Others threatened to dump bottles of Ricard Pastis into the Old Port of Marseille.
Pernod Ricard is one of the major producers of anise-flavoured aperitif pastis, a drink that is synonymous with the city of Marseille and its surrounds.
Fans of Olympique Marseille, the city’s Ligue 1 football club, were outraged to hear of a partnership between their biggest rival and the drinks company. Pernod Ricard, which produces Ricard Pastis, announced the partnership on Monday.
One fan dubbed the company a “bande de traîtres” [band of traitors] on X, formerly known as Twitter. Others threatened to dump bottles of Ricard Pastis into the Old Port of Marseille.
Locals also began posting pictures of bottles produced by rival companies, threatening to switch brands.
Pernod Ricard, one of the biggest beverage producers in the world, made a U-turn on the PSG deal just four days after its announcement.
Alexandre Ricard, chairman and chief executive officer of the company, said in a statement: “I have taken this decision for the Group and after listening to the people who make it a success, including our employees in France, our customers, our shareholders, and above all, my family.
Pernod Ricard, one of the biggest beverage producers in the world, made a U-turn on the PSG deal just four days after its announcement.
Alexandre Ricard, chairman and chief executive officer of the company, said in a statement: “I have taken this decision for the Group and after listening to the people who make it a success, including our employees in France, our customers, our shareholders, and above all, my family.
"For over 90 years, Ricard’s history has been inextricably linked with Marseille, where it was born. Those roots are strong, and they run deep, so the decision that I’m taking today comes from the heart.
“I’m sure that everyone who has worked on this project will understand my choice. Pernod Ricard will continue to proudly claim its origins and the sincerity of the bonds that unite our brands with their communities.”
“I’m sure that everyone who has worked on this project will understand my choice. Pernod Ricard will continue to proudly claim its origins and the sincerity of the bonds that unite our brands with their communities.”
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