Beckham’s Diageo tie-up “disappointing”

David Beckham’s involvement in Diageo’s new single grain Scotch whisky brand Haig Club has been branded “incredibly disappointing” by a health charity.

Former footballer David Beckham is criticised for his involvement with an alcohol brand

The former footballer was yesterday revealed to be involved in the development of Diageo’s new whisky brand, alongside music mogul Simon Fuller.

Beckham’s priority on Haig Club will be to lead the promotion of a responsible drinking programme for the brand, which Diageo claims is at the heart of the launch.

However, his reputation as a children’s sports promoter has led to a backlash among health bodies who claim Beckham’s involvement in an alcohol brand sends a “confusing” message.

Emily Robinson, deputy CEO of Alcohol Concern UK, said: “It’s incredibly disappointing that David Beckham, a global icon who has wide appeal to children has chosen to use his sports star image to promote spirits.

“Given David Beckham’s other roles promoting sport and a healthy lifestyle to children, we believe this will send a confusing message to them about the dangers of alcohol and its impact on a healthy lifestyle and we call on the star to rethink his association with this product.”

Diageo intends Haig Club to be an international brand that will spearhead the emergence of the single grain Scotch whisky category, which up until now has been mostly represented by a handful of independent brands.

“The House of Haig has a rich history and I’m proud to be working at the heart of a home-grown brand which has built an incredible heritage over 400 years,” Beckham said.

“Working closely with Diageo, we look forward to collaborating on Haig Club, valuing and treasuring the Haig traditions while reinventing this whisky for years to come.”

Responsible drinking programme

The Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) on the other hand applauded Diageo for its choice of spokesperson and decision to include a responsible drinking programme alongside the launch of Haig Club.

Francis Ingham, PRCA director general, said: “It was a smart move by Diageo for the launch of this whisky brand to include the announcement of a dedicated Corporate Social Responsibility programme around responsible drinking – something which David Beckham will front as well. This was well planned and anticipated potential criticism.

“The drinks firm -– which subscribes to the PRCA’s code of conduct -– has invested hugely in responsible drinking initiatives, because it realises that alcohol misuse is damaging to its own reputation.”

In response to the claims made by Alcohol Concern, a Diageo spokeswoman said: “Diageo and David Beckham take our responsibility in this area very seriously. As well as abiding by all laws and industry codes, Diageo has our own, very stringent, guidelines on responsible marketing of our brands.

“We have always been completely clear in our view that alcohol should only be consumed by adults and we do not want underage drinkers as consumers.”