Magners slams cider logo ban on football strips
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
31.07.2014 10:45
Irish cider producer Magners has criticised Polish advertising laws after Scottish football team Celtic was blocked from wearing the brand's sponsorship logos at a Champions League match in Warsaw.
Celtic players (in green) in action again against Legia Warszawa. Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymanski
Under Polish law, only beer can be advertised, prompting Magners' parent company C&C to switch to logos of sister beer brand Tennents during Wednesday's match against Legia Warszawa.
“We can see no rational or persuasive reason for cider to be treated differently from beer, other than to protect the interests of local beer brands,” commented Paul Condron, Magners' group marketing director, as cited by just-drinks.com.
C&C has argued that “the privileged treatment of beer in Polish national advertising regulations may constitute an effective barrier to cider producers from entering the Polish market and may also raise other legal concerns, including fair competition, under Polish law.”
According to C&C the current status quo may constitute an “illegitimate and disproportionate barrier to the free movement of goods within the EU.”
Although relatively unknown in Poland until recent years, cider is currently tipped for exponential growth, and newly launched Polish cider companies are themselves pushing for changes in the law.
The Glasgow side ultimately lost Wednesday's match, with Legia winning 4-1. (nh)