Heroin turns Peaches from bad to rotten
“We’ve given this a lot of thought, but there’s a point where a business must stick to its principles and as a brand that targets young women, we feel it is impossible for Peaches Geldof to continue to work with us as the face of Miss Ultimo lingerie.”
That was Michelle Mone, founder of the Miss Ultimo lingerie brand on Tuesday, as she explained the axing of Peaches Geldof as the brand’s first celebrity ambassador.
The parting of Miss Ultimo and Geldof will cost both parties considerable sums. But allegations of a wild night of sex and heroin abuse prompted, according to reports, 3,000 complaints from parents, concerned about Geldof’s association with their daughters’ favourite underwear brand.
One emergency board meeting later and the decision was made. Miss Ultimo plans to replace Geldof with a new celebrity ambassador. The
brand isn’t short of experience in picking famous faces to associate with. New television adverts will star television presenter Kelly Brook and in the past, Helena Christensen and Sarah Harding have been among the models and pop stars to promote the brand.
So with all that experience of choosing and handling celebs, one might ask why on earth Miss Ultimo decided to work with Peaches Geldof when it did last May. She’s no newcomer to the pages of the tabloids after all, and if the latest stories are true, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s been linked to drugs.
“Geldof was seen as edgy, naughty, flawed – but ultimately a potent driver of lingerie sales to young women between the ages of 18 and 25”
One answer could be the fact that for as long as she was “only” connected with possible drug use, Geldof was seen as edgy, naughty, flawed – but ultimately a potent driver of lingerie sales to young women between the ages of 18 and 25.
Now those stories, whether true or not, concern heroin and have crossed over into a new realm. Miss Ultimo, possibly willing to accept the effect that Geldof’s previous behaviour had on the brand, has drawn the line.
Will there be a way back for Geldof as a future brand ambassador? Don’t bet against it. Why not read MaryLou Costa’s cover story, which starts on page 18, on the new tool available to help you match your brand with the right celebrity? See for yourself the market that exists for some of th household names that exist in the “negative celebrity role model” list. Who knows, you might be giving Peaches Geldof a call before you’ve reached the end of the feature.
