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Pernod Ricard U-turns on PSG deal
French firm Pernod Ricard has axed its partnership with football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after backlash from fans of its rival team in Marseille.
Paris-headquartered Pernod Ricard announced its global partnership with PSG last Monday (2 September), described as the first of its kind for the spirits giant.
The four-year deal would have seen Pernod Ricard become the official provider of wine and spirits for the club’s hospitality programme.
However, the move prompted criticism from fans of football club Olympique de Marseille, a rival of PSG.
The French spirits conglomerate has its roots in Marseille, where the business was founded in 1932 by Paul Ricard who created Ricard pastis. The brand sells more than four million cases annually.
PSG and the Marseille club have been in an intense rivalry since the 1990s. Upon hearing the news of the partnership, some Marseille supporters circulated the hashtag #boycottPernodRicard.
After the strong reaction from local fans, Pernod Ricard backtracked on the PSG partnership several days later.
Alexandre Ricard, chairman and CEO, 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.”
The press release from Pernod Ricard announcing the deal said the partnership would exclude France in terms of visibility or activations, and is subject to compliance with any local regulations. Alcohol advertising is highly regulated in France.
Emmanuel Vouin, Pernod Ricard’s head of group external engagement, explained that the PSG partnership was intended to be an international deal for the group to promote its brands outside of France, in markets “where football passion is huge” and where PSG is “extremely powerful”. He cited markets such as the US, Brazil, South Korea and China.
Vouin also highlighted that Pernod Ricard has been investing further in sports partnerships in recent months, including Chivas Regal’s multi-year deal with Arsenal and Jameson’s collaboration with the English Football League last year.
Vouin noted that some local football fans had “misinterpreted” the latest partnership, believing that Pernod Ricard would be promoting its namesake anise brand on PSG’s shirts, despite the company’s origins in Marseille.
He added that the collaboration would have focused on brands in categories such as whisky, Champagne and Cognac – “not the 240 brands of the group, and even less Ricard, a very local French brand”.
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