 From Freddie's drunken antics to Jade's bullying, what does it take for a brand to drop a star? Pints and pedalos patently do not mix. It was a lesson England cricketer Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff learnt last week when he ended up in the drink, in more ways than one. Flintoff's drunken antics in St Lucia cost him his vice-captaincy midway through the World Cup, but the colourful character's sponsorship deals, which include Volkswagen and Sky Sports,
remain intact. Here is Marketing's guide to how much a brand ambassador can get away with these days.
Wasted talent
The demon drink lowers inhibitions and makes people do things they later regret. While the red-tops, gossip magazines and general public enjoy the humiliation, beyond that, drunken antics tend to be tolerated. No harm done. Unless, of course, there is.
In 2003, after one in-flight tipple too many, soccer hardman-turned-actor Vinnie Jones slapped a fellow passenger 10 times and claimed he could get the crew murdered - an antic that cost him 80 hours community service, a £1100 fine and a lucrative contract with Bacardi.
Vic Reeves was sacked as the voice-over artist for Churchill Insurance when he was arrested and convicted for drink-driving, and former Cold Feet star John Thompson was axed as a kindly florist
in Lloyds TSB's ads after admitting drink problems and driving while more than twice over the limit.
Sackability rating 0/10 (drunken foolishness), 10/10 (drunken driving)
Nose for a deal
Ask some brand-endorsing celebs where they draw the line and they'll probably point you in the direction of the toilet.
Despite photos of Kate Moss allegedly snorting cocaine hitting the tabloids in 2005, make-up brand Rimmel London stood by her after Chanel and Burberry publicly dropped her. When Moss issued a public apology, she was rewarded by Virgin Mobile with a £1.2m deal. Burberry has since agreed a £1m contract, while Calvin Klein, Agent Provocateur and Stella McCartney have also signed her up since the scandal.
Former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona might be less fashionable, but her deal with Iceland was also unaffected after she admitted taking cocaine after her split with husband Brian McFadden.
Sackability rating 2/10. All publicity is good publicity; just say 'sorry'
Who do ya love?
Before signing on the dotted line, celebs must check that they like, or at least can pretend to like, the brand paying the mortgage. In 2002, comedian Paul Kaye (Dennis Pennis) described himself as a c*** for starring in a series of Woolies ads. He lasted one season.
Jamie Oliver, celebrity chef, champion of kids' school dinners and face of Sainsbury's, nearly lost his contract after likening supermarkets to factories; Sainsbury's was further tested when his wife was spotted in Waitrose.
Forgetting which brand you support also landed Britney Spears in trouble - she was dropped by Pepsi after being photographed glugging Coca-Cola. Oops.
It is sportsmen who get the most confused about what is expected of them. Nike was embarrassed when Tiger Woods abandoned his Nike driver after losing his ball on the first shot at the 2003 Open Championship at Sandwich, while David Beckham seemingly forgot he had signed a deal with Brylcreem when he shaved his head in 2000.
Similarly showing that genius on the pitch does not translate off it, Paul Gascoigne caused embarrassment for aftershave brand Brut after claiming it brought him out in a rash.
Sackability rating 8/10. If you can't say something nice...
Don't be a dope
One thing that will definitely get celebs dropped is being branded a cheat. 2006 Tour De France winner Floyd Landis tested positive for unusually high testosterone levels, and his Phonak-sponsored team was abandoned.
Sports stars who fail to meet expectations can also land in trouble; Quaker porridge oats dropped marathon runner Paula Radcliffe after she had a sit-down and a cry while racing at the Athens Olympics.
Sackability rating 9/10. Cheating will get you sacked; doing badly will reduce your value
Playing away
What goes on tour... often ends up in the press. Footballers tend to get confused about 'scoring' all the time, but no one seems to care much. Many brands thrive on celebrities caught in kiss-and-tell scandals. Commentators suggested that David Beckham's affair with personal assistant Rebecca Loos might add something to the Beckham brand. They were right. Not one brand removed its support until he lost his job as England captain.
Fellow footballer Wayne Rooney's dalliance with old-age prostitutes similarly had little impact, but reports that he slapped his fianc? Colleen McLoughlin could have posed a bigger threat to his £10m deals with Nike and Coca-Cola.
Sackability rating 3/10 (keep it zipped); 8/10 (keep it legal)
In your face
The Celebrity Big Brother scandal proved that if there's one thing guaranteed to get you ditched by a brand, it's bullying, and in particular, perceived racism.
Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara outraged the public earlier this year when they bullied Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. The Perfume Store withdrew Goody's perfume Shh..., while glamour model Lloyd lost a six-figure contract to promote motorbike insurer Bennett's and was ditched by fashion label Rocawear.
(Source: Media Asia)
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