Michael Owen stars in ‘cringey’ Spey Whisky ad

Retired football star Michael Owen has released his first advert for Spey Whisky since becoming the brand’s global ambassador, drawing criticism for his “monotone” narration.

Michael Owen has been criticised for his “cringeworthy” Spey Whisky advertisement

It was announced in June last year that Owen, once striker for Manchester United, had signed a three-year deal to become the global brand ambassador for Spey Whisky, produced by the Speyside Distillery.

Owen’s involvement with Spey Whisky follows the partnership between his former fellow England teammate, David Beckham, and Diageo’s Haig Club

In December last year, Spey launched the no-age-statement Spey Whisky Michael Owen 1412 in Taiwan to mark the sports star’s birthday.

John Harvey McDonough, CEO of Spey whisky producer Speyside Distillers, said Michael Owen would act as a “Trojan horse” for the brand to reach its target Chinese market, due to his popularity in the country.

Spey has now released its first advertisement in China starring Owen in China, which has drawn criticism from UK viewers since going viral.

In the ad, which was edited in China, Owen states: “Every time I step into the ring, the spirit of the warrior courses through me. Together, we bolt through the ring with vigorous sensations of speed.”

He then claims to celebrate his “passion in life”, thoroughbred horse racing, with Spey Whisky, before asking viewers to “keep the secret”.

The Metro describes the advertisement as “agony to watch”, while Breaking News describes Owen’s performance as “sheer awfulness”. On Twitter, users have described the video as “cringeworthy” and “dull as dish water”.

Click on the link to view the advertisement in full. Let us know if you agree by leaving a comment below.