The endorsement of Chinese baijiu brand Chishui River liquor by Lionel Messi is gradually fading away.
On the morning of February 20th, the Chishui River liquor flagship store operated by JD.com on the JD platform can no longer be found. Upon checking browsing history, reporters from the Nandu Bay Finance and Economics Society found that all products, including those endorsed by Messi, have been removed. Regarding the removal of products, customer service from the flagship store responded that the store’s products are currently undergoing adjustments and optimization.
It is understood that JD’s self-operated flagship store is one of the main sales platforms for Chishui River liquor.
Of note, alongside the removal of products, most content on Chishui River liquor’s Weibo account, except for the co-created endorsement posts with Messi, has been hidden. Simultaneously, only one video remains on Chishui River liquor’s Douyin account, with previous videos and related product sales links being taken down.
In response, reporters attempted to contact Chishui River liquor for clarification on the situation, but as of the time of publication, there has been no response from them.
On the evening of the 19th, Messi posted a video on Weibo, once again addressing the reason for not participating in the performance match in Hong Kong. He stated that his absence was due to inflammation of the iliopsoas muscle and that he felt “slightly better” when he appeared in the match in Japan three days later. Following the release of the response video, it immediately sparked widespread debate on social media.
As a renowned football player, Messi is one of the focal points for commercial brands. His endorsement for the Baijiu brand Chishui River liquor has previously sparked debates within the industry. According to previous reports from the Nandu Bay Finance and Economics Society, in August of last year, Chishui River liquor signed Messi as its brand ambassador, which garnered significant attention in public opinion and brought exposure to Chishui River liquor.
On January 11th of this year, the limited edition Chishui River liquor with Messi’s signature (claimed to be limited to 10,000 bottles) was released. Advertisements featuring Messi’s endorsement were also displayed on highways and CCTV in some provinces, leading to “Messi selling liquor” trending at that time, bringing Chishui River liquor back into the public eye.
However, on February 4th, after Messi was absent from the exhibition match of Inter Miami CF in Hong Kong, the comment section of Chishui River liquor’s social media accounts was flooded by netizens. Some expressed hopes for Chishui River liquor to terminate its contract with Messi. In response, Chishui River liquor commented on its Douyin account: “As a brand partner, we are also saddened.”