The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2024
Pernod Ricard scrapped a four-year PSG deal days after Marseille fans boycotted pastis
Ricard pastis is Marseille's drink. When its parent signed a four-year PSG deal, fans launched #boycottPernodRicard — the CEO tore it up in days.
Pernod Ricard · PSG · 2024-09
What happened
Ricard pastis has been part of Marseille's identity since 1932, when Paul Ricard first commercialised the drink; the company's history with the city spans more than 90 years. In September 2024 Pernod Ricard announced a four-year sponsorship of Paris Saint-Germain, intended to promote its whisky and champagne brands internationally, with no visibility in France.
Marseille fans read the announcement as their home brand siding with their football rivals. The hashtag #boycottPernodRicard spread, supporters swore off pastis, threatened to switch to rival brands, and some called for a boycott of the company's 240-plus brands. Marseille's mayor, Benoît Payan, demanded an explanation from the company.
The reaction was so strong that chief executive Alexandre Ricard scrapped the deal within days, announcing on 5 September that he had acted 'because of the strong emotions aroused' and after listening to employees, customers and shareholders. 'For more than 90 years, Ricard's history has been intertwined with Marseille... this link is stronger than anything else.' A four-year contract was dead before any campaign had run.
Why it happened
- A brand whose equity lives in one city spent it against that city's fiercest football rival — the deal ignored the geography of its own identity.
- The 'international whisky, no French visibility' logic treated consumers as an audience for the contract rather than as owners of the brand.
- The boycott threat hit the core product, not the sponsorship: Ricard sales in Marseille were worth more than any PSG exposure the deal could buy.
The lesson
A sponsorship is a statement about where a brand belongs. When the contract contradicts the brand's own origin story, the fans — not the lawyers — decide how long it survives.
Aftermath
Pernod Ricard confirmed the sponsorship was terminated and said the decision came 'from the heart.' PSG did not comment publicly. The episode stands as a reminder that regional brands carry regional loyalties that no sponsorship contract can override.
Sources
- ESPN: Pernod scraps sponsorship of PSG after protests in Marseille
- The Drinks Business: Pernod Ricard drops PSG deal amid controversy
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