Experts Insist Handball Will Not Affect Henry's Marketability

P&G Says Henry's Handball Incident Will Not Affect Endorsement Partnership

As "controversy rages" around France F Thierry Henry for his handball in Wednesday's France-Ireland World Cup qualifier, most sponsorship experts claim that the "harm to his reputation won't extend to his off-field earnings," according to Jonathan Clegg of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Synergy CEO Tim Crow: "In terms of his marketing prowess going forward, I don't see it impacting him meaningfully. Having played for Arsenal and playing now for Barcelona, his footprint is world-wide and I don't see this changing that. It will stick with him and it will be something that people consider now when they are considering him for endorsements, but ultimately it's all about his performance on the field." But Sponsorship Consulting Managing Dir Pippa Collett said that Henry "may have put himself out of the market for certain future endorsements." Collett: "If you were a brand that traded very much on trust ... it would be a bit unfortunate to be aligned with him. I don't think he'll be endorsing financial services any time soon either." Clegg notes Henry has sponsorship deals with global brands including Pepsi, Reebok and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as a partnership with Gillette that pays him an estimated $8.4M (all figures US) annually (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/20). In London, Matthew Beard notes Henry earned a reported $23M from Nike from '01-06, before leaving in '06 to "sign with Reebok for a signing-on fee" of $14.8M. Henry also "replaced David Beckham as one of the faces of Gillette" (LONDON EVENING STANDARD, 11/20).

GILLETTE STANDING BY HENRY: In London, O'Connor & Smith reported sponsors are "standing by" Henry, though Internet user groups are calling for a "boycott of Gillette products while the Frenchman continues to endorse them." Gillette parent company Procter & Gamble Brand Communications Manager for Grooming James Nunn said, "It's not our place to comment on refereeing in a match but this is not going to affect our relationship with him." When Gillette "launched its champions campaign" featuring Henry, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer in '07, the company said it picked Henry because he embodied "true sporting values." But some Internet users have demanded that Gillette "drop the footballer from its campaign" (TIMESONLINE.co.uk, 11/19).