Great news for fans of national treasure Michael Gordon Peterson. The moustachioed geezer better known as Charles Bronson has been chosen as the face of a leading personal care brand. From his high-security cell in HMP Woodhill, Britain’s best-loved maniac will front the multi-platform campaign ‘Grievous bodily charm’.

Joking! Can you imagine?

Actually, you don’t really have to. You can just look to the US, where Harry’s teamed up with another notorious criminal earlier this year. To debut its posh Redacted Body Wash in January, the male grooming player enlisted convicted fraudster Anna Delvey for a push that took “a playful swipe at traditional ideas of luxury”.

With a nod to her former life posing as an affluent heiress to rip off New York socialites, Delvey purred: “Luxury is a mindset – and some people are very committed to it.”

For some punters, no doubt, the activity was indeed playful – and crooks who’ve served their time are entitled to a shot at redemption, after all. Others would certainly have deemed Delvey profiting from her offences untoward, at least.

Big budget brand ambassadors

Notably, Delvey – sentenced in 2019 to four to 12 years in US state prison – played no part in this week’s UK launch of Harry’s bodywash. Not that fmcg brands on this side of the Atlantic are scared of a bit of previous when it comes to celebrity tie-ups.

Take Wilkinson Sword, which last month unveiled a push starring British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua. Best known for being very good at his job, AJ pleaded guilty in 2011 to the charge of possession with intent to supply cannabis.

That being the case, the pugilist’s offence was nowhere near as severe as Delvey’s and can be chalked down to youthful indiscretion. He’s more than redeemed himself since, building a reputation for being a total gent and landing an OBE in 2018 for services to his sport. He’s well deserving of his new gig shifting razors.

Speaking of British orders of chivalry and top blokes, Marcus Rashford MBE has just been named the newest ambassador of Volvic.

It’s easy to understand why a professional footballer would land such a job with a bottled water brand just ahead of the men’s World Cup. And it’s even easier to understand why it should be Rashford, given his trenchant activism in helping hungry kids, the unhoused and low-income families. By hiring the veteran English striker, Volvic will be able to bask in the halo of his admirable work on and off the playing field.

Thus is the benefit of a canny team-up between grocery supplier and celebrity. For another example, see the runaway success of the partnership between Benchmark Drinks and Kylie Minogue.

That and countless other such tie-ups are covered in compelling detail in our latest issue. The likes of Gary Lineker, Ryan Reynolds and 50 Cent all feature. Michael Gordon Peterson, however, is nowhere to be found.

Topics