The news that Cadbury agreed to a sponsorship deal with the Premier League was "met with a degree of negative publicity following criticism from health campaigners and fans alike," according to Tony Connelly of THE DRUM. However, the brand "maintains its first tie-up with football will be fruitful and ensure it remains relevant." The chocolate maker "sealed a three-year deal with the global sports brand" to be part of moments such as the Golden Boot and Golden Glove awards. For all of Cadbury’s "talk of using the sponsorship to do good, not everyone has greeted the claim with open arms." A "widespread decline" in the confectionery market and negative coverage of the brand through Channel 4’s "Dispatches: Secrets of Cadbury" has led some critics to view the deal as a "cynical attempt to kickstart the brand." However, Cadbury defended the deal, arguing that it is “important” to align the brand with properties that reinforce the values and scale it has. While it declined to reveal how it would communicate these values, a spokesperson for the brand said that the partnership was key to ensuring it "thrives for generations to come." The proof of Cadbury’s motive "will be whether it makes good on its pledge to keep Health for Life at the forefront" of its sponsorship. M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Dir Neil Hopkins said, "I’m not really one for quoting Oscar Wilde but the key to landing sponsorships for brands like Cadburys is to acknowledge that, for a growing number of consumers, and parents in particular, it’s very much a case of everything in moderation" (THE DRUM, 1/26).
