The England players and management have been very busy recently. Not in preparing for today’s ODI against Scotland, but trying to flog us groceries and bottled water.
You will no doubt have heard yesterday’s exciting news from the ECB: Harrogate Spring has been unveiled as “The Official Water of England Cricket”. A jubilant Lord’s press release trumpeted this landmark event in uncompromising style, with chief executive David Collier affirming that “Harrogate Spring Water and the England and Wales Cricket Board both share a rich heritage, and we feel there is an excellent brand fit between Harrogate Spring Water and the England Cricket Team that will positively impact both parties.”
The announcement sent a frisson of excitement through the entire English cricket community. With the official water now in place, next stop the Ashes. It’s good to see they’ve got their priorities right. The finer detail of the “positive impacts” for our game may not be immediately evident, beyond the ECB trousering a large cheque, but James Cain, Managing Director of the Water Brands Group, seemed pretty chuffed by the development.
“We’re thrilled to work with the ECB to become The Official Water of England Cricket”, he said. “The sponsorship deal is with one of the best cricket teams in the world and is a major statement of intent from Harrogate Spring Water”.
You can write your own punchlines. But maybe it would be merciful to point out to James that, on recent form, England are not even the best cricket team in Europe.
These are, of course, times of sweeping change in English cricket, and the coronation of Harrogate Water spelled the end of the team’s relationship with another H2O brand, as Dave Tickner pointed out on Twitter:
Giles Clarke says the decision to ditch Buxton Water was a "brave one", telling England fans they must "move on".
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) May 8, 2014
But England’s love affair with Harrogate water pales into insignificance compared to what they’ve been up to for their new team sponsor. Reading the various interviews given by Alastair Cook and Peter Moores late last week, you could be forgiven for thinking the captain and coach had deliberately put time aside to “reconnect” with the cricketing public. In truth, the quotes all derived from a press junket staged solely to promote Waitrose, its focal point a cookery lesson for the duo which proved hammier than anything in the supermarket’s charcuterie aisle.
And then yesterday came had the launch of the England team’s official advert for Waitrose. Take it away, Broady and Ando…
As the excellent Dave Tickner also observed, there is just so much here to enjoy. The ‘fruit and veg’ end. Katherine Brunt being ignored by the other two. The crowbarred-in plugs for Adidas, The Times, and The Cricketer. All that faffing around just to buy one apple, some wine, and a loaf. Bumble inexplicably sitting mute in a van, listening to a commentary clip featuring, of all people, Paul Downton. What’s going on there? Some weird in-joke? A taunt to disgruntled England supporters?
On one level, the ad very effectively underscores a link between the England team and Waitrose’s goods, because it’s as cheesy as their ripest Stilton, and as corny as their most naturally-sourced breakfast flakes.
But on another, it’s deeply unedifying. We all accept that the ECB, like any sporting body, need to exploit sponsorship opportunities to generate income (although whether they spend that revenue wisely and selfessly is open to debate ) – but surely they can achieve this without shredding every last remnant of their dignity?
No one objects to players taking part in photo opportunities for their sponsors, or wearing branded clothing. But that kind of stuff isn’t lucrative enough for the greedy and shameless ECB, who will agree to anything for the right price. You want to make the players look like complete prats? Fine, but what’s the fee? You want to tattoo ‘I love Spam’ on Ian Bell’s forehead? OK, where’s the cheque?
Giles Clarke and David Collier are prostituting and debasing England test cricketers, hiring them out as clowns, salesmen, and human billboards, and hawking tat on street corners like Del Boy, just to swell their coffers. And it’s striking how much time and energy they can muster whenever a sponsor’s involved. In the last four months, which have encompassed one of the greatest series of crises in English cricket history, there are an awful lot of things the ECB haven’t bothered to do – such as map out specific plans for rebuilding the team, or make an effort to re-engage disillusioned supporters. But when there’s an opportunity to make a few quid, they pull out all the stops.
Meanwhile, isn’t it rather inappropriate for Jonathan Agnew to provide the voice-over for an advert like this? He’s not just a commentator and a personality – he’s the BBC’s cricket correspondent, and that’s a journalistic role which often requires him to analyse and comment on the actions and policies of the ECB (including their commercial undertakings). By appearing in this official ad, especially in the guise of a commentator, Agnew is working directly for both the ECB and their sponsor, and implicitly endorsing not only both parties, but the deal itself.
You feel a line has wrongly been crossed. A journalist should not undertake work for the people he’s meant to report on. It would be like Robert Peston moonlighting for George Osborne. And now every time Agnew makes a positive remark about the ECB, or references Waitrose as team sponsor, he risks the charge of conflicted interests. He shouldn’t have touched this with a bargepole.
Err Jonathan Agnew has written for Waitrose’s in house newspaper for years so it’s not really surprising to see him involved in their advertising.
Anonymous, you are rather missing the point. Agnew’s freelance writing for Waitrose was not in conflict with his position as a broadcaster and journalist for the BBC. However, all that changed when Waitrose teamed up with the ECB. Now a conflict of interest does arise. It has nothing to do with integrity. It is about not putting oneself in a position where a conflict may arise. Even Caesar’s wife had to be above suspicion.
The Waitrose-ECB voice-over does not so much risk breaching the Reithian broadcasting ethic of independence and impartiality, it drives a sponsored coach and four through it.
The surprise is not that Agnew should be involved in Waitrose’s advertising, it is that he did not relinquish his role with the store when it got into bed with the ECB.
Well maybe he shouldn’t be doing that, either!
Tregaskis makes the point better than me (as usual, the git). There’s nothing wrong with Agnew writing for Waitrose in the past, about food, or indeed cricket. But Waitrose now sponsor the team he is responsible for reporting on impartially. Moreover, the ad is an ECB/Waitrose partnership, which means Agnew is lending his clout and reputation to a piece of commercial and corporate propaganda.
That’s it in a nutshell. It is most definitely a “conflict of interest!” BBC should do something about it and quick smart.
The Waitrose adverts are as cringeworthy as the England cricket set-up & Aggers has never been impartial so why should he start now?
I’m really struggling with English cricket at the moment. The whole KP affair killed it for me and I’m finding it hard to have any respect for any of them.
[…] prepared something on the Waitrose Ad released yesterday on Youtube. The post called “Every Little Helps” (That’s Tesco) is a pretty good summary of the immediate “negative” […]
It’s all extremely unedifying but CA has been prostituting certain of it’s players in TV ads for their sponsors – equally cringeworthy in style – for years.
ECB has been backward in this if anything.
Broad and Anderson quite rightly appear to realise they look like idiots.
Easier to find a product Michael Clarke *doesn’t* advertise these days..
And they certainly all look idiots in that hideous orange strip. Reminds me of what the inmates wear in American prisons!
One thing I can say for certain is that Christopher Martin Jenkins would never have behaved like this.
I used to find Mr CMJ a bit boring as a commentator but no one could ever believe him to be anything other than the consummate professional who simply loved the game. Trouble is I really loved listening to Agnew on the radio, but his constant attacks – however cloaked in a bit of honey – has really and sincerely upset me. He is part of the set up and clearly totally in support of the current ECB regime. So doing a commentary for the Old Farts Brigade is hardly surprising. So, do as I say rather than do as I do then?
I suppose one might say that the ECB has turned England cricket and its players into tarts touting for business. All a bit sordid really. One can only assume that this is the real role the ECB Old Farts Brigade actually care about? Well it certainly is cricket and that’s for sure.
Question for you guys. I am getting a load of grief from someone who calls himself Wheezer. Does anyone know who he really is?