As the kick off for the new Premier League season fast approaches, a well known Scottish blend has announced a new partnership with one of the league’s top contenders.
Chivas Regal have revealed a multi-year partnership with Arsenal Football Club, becoming the club’s first official whisky partner. Chivas will support both the men’s and women’s teams come the start of the 2024/25 season.
The collaboration is said to be born from their ‘shared ambition for success and commitment to their communities worldwide.’
As Arsenal’s chief commercial officer Juliet Slot explains: “we’re proud to welcome Chivas Regal to our family of partners. It’s a brand renowned for its cultural and community ties, and they share an always-forward mindset that is so important to our club values and ambition. We’re excited to work together to serve our supporters better and bring our communities from around the world closer to our club.”
As part of the collaboration, the Pernod Ricard owned brand will be involved in creating exclusive content and live experiences featuring supporters, Arsenal players past and present, celebrity fans, and content creators.
Chivas will also play a central role in enhancing the match day experience for fans. A new Chivas bar within Dial Square at Emirates Stadium has been set up, showcasing classic cocktails and Chivas Highball serves exclusive to the stadium.
Additionally, Chivas Regal will partner with local Arsenal pubs ahead of the men’s team’s opening match against Wolves on Saturday 17th August. To celebrate the first Arsenal women’s game at the Emirates, Chivas will also host a Chivas Highball giveaway at the stadium ahead of the match against Manchester City Women on 22nd September.
Nick Blacknell, global marketing director of Chivas, said “Our partnership with Arsenal goes beyond whisky and football; it’s about unlocking a new layer of football culture for fans, both here in the UK and across the globe – extending the experience of the beautiful game we all love far beyond the pitch.
“The partnership will stay true to our history in culture and community and reinforce our commitment to bringing elevated luxury experiences to fans across the world. We can’t wait to reveal what we have in store over the next few months and look forward to toasting the 2024 Premier League season together at our new Emirates bar on Saturday 17 August.”
Partnering with a Scottish whisky holds some extra significance for Arsenal. The club was founded in 1886 as Dial Square Football Club by Scotsman David Danskin.
In the modern era of freakishly impressive athletes and their incredibly clean diets and lifestyles, a partnership between a football club and an alcohol brand might not seem the most logical step. Nevertheless it’s a fairly common practice. Many clubs have spirits partners and there have been some (in)famous advertising campaigns for Scotch whisky involving former footballers (search for Michael Owen’s ‘sssh keep the secret’ ad for Spey whisky if you need a good laugh).
This relationship also isn’t Chivas’ first foray into football. In 2021 they launched their innovative Regal FC digital platform, which gave fans exclusive behind the scenes access to some of the sport’s biggest clubs and stars. Also - cover your eyes and ears Arsenal fans - Chivas have partnered with Manchester United in recent years.
Football is also known as a notoriously tribalistic sport, so hopefully Chivas working with Arsenal won’t alienate whisky drinkers from other London clubs. But maybe it’s too late; one Chelsea fan has already told me they will only be drinking Johnnie Walker from now on…
