12 | Celebrities and booze
DRINKING W IT H T HE
STA R S Celebrities are sprinkling some of their magic dust on the drinks industry, not only through advertising and endorsements but also by launching their own brands Written by Peter Ranscombe
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ew phrases strike more fear into my heart than the dreaded term ‘celebrity culture’. Whether it’s magazines full of stories concocted by publicists about who’s dating who, ‘reality’ television shows in which people become famous for simply appearing on the gogglebox, or the never-ending scroll of ‘influencers’ on social media, it appears that there’s no escaping the cult of the A-listers. A-listers The drinks industry hasn’t evaded the onslaught of the rich and famous either. From simply promoting drinks through to owning their own brands, celebrities are
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leaving an indelible mark across categories as diverse as whisky, gin and wine. One of the most high-profile ‘partnerships’ is between retired footballer David Beckham and Haig Club, the single grain Scotch whisky brand launched in 2014 by Diageo, Scotland’s largest distiller and the owner of Gordon’s gin, Guinness stout and Smirnoff vodka. ‘Think of Haig Club and you think of David Beckham – not because of clever marketing or glossy advertising campaigns – but because David is a brand partner in every sense of the word,’ trumpets the whisky’s website.
From left: Haig Club; David Beckham (credit: Andrea Raffin).
07/12/2021 16:04:22
