The news of Steven Gerrard's arrest following a fracas in a Southport nightclub has prompted concerns in the PR industry about the effect the drunken and irresponsible behaviour of leading celebrities is having on the brands they are championing.
Gerrard, who has a sponsorship deal with Adidas, is the latest in a series of high-profile figures whose party antics have attracted negative media coverage.
Only recently the face of Iceland, Kerry Katona, put a nasty dent in the reputation of the frozen-food chain after appearing boozed and drugged up in an interview on ITV's This Morning show.
And the concerns of PR agents are now being compounded by the release of a new study into the impact that celebrity party lifestyles have on the attitude of young people towards alcohol.
The research, funded by the government's Economic Social and Research Council, has revealed that the exploits of party animals such as Kate Moss and Girls Aloud are reinforcing the idea that drinking is cool and harmless.
The findings should serve as a warning to leading brands, which may need to exercise more caution when choosing their celebs to avoid a potential backlash.
Celebrity endorsements may well be one of the cornerstones of public relations, but an endorsement can quickly become a source of embarrassment for a brand when the celebrity starts to behave badly and attracts the inevitable and unwelcome negative publicity.
hello@octopuspr.co.uk 
01785
229530 
