Complaint against Mike Tindall’s gin booted out
Blackeye Gin, the spirits brand founded by the hosts of podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, was the subject of a complaint from a member of the public who claimed that its name was associated with “violence and aggression”.
Launched in 2023 by ex-rugby union players Mike Tindall and James Haskell alongside their podcast co-host and sports broadcaster Alex Payne, Blackeye Gin was founded with the intent to raise money for rugby players, both present and former, who have had to deal with risks associated with the profession. £1.50 from each bottle sold goes towards researching into the risks, and helping players to recover.
However, an unnamed member of the public complained to the Independent Complaints Panel for drinks that the brand’s name had “associations with violence and aggression”.
In defence, Blackeye Gin argued that it was a “purpose-led brand” with a “mission…to champion recovery, care, and safety in rugby, supporting seriously injured players and their families”.
The brand, which is part of the Catalyst Spirits portfolio, made a case for ‘Blackeye’ as a brand name being different from ‘black eye’, and said that “at most” the name “could be interpreted as a reference to the common sports injury”.
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Blackeye Gin also suggested that, although the name is connected with a wound which might occur on the rugby pitch, there was no association “bravado, or with violent, aggressive, dangerous, anti-social or illegal behaviour”, and that it was therefore not in breach of paragraph 3.2(b) of the Portman Group’s Code of Practice on the Responsible Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks.
One stipulation of this particular paragraph is that “packaging should not suggest that one has to be tough or daring to drink a particular product”. Complaints against products which feature guns, for example, such as Kalashnikov Vodka, have previously fallen foul of paragraph 3.2(b).
The UK drinks industry’s Independent Complaints Panel ruled against the complainant who took umbrage at Blackeye Gin’s name, with its assessment (as published by the Portman Group) stating that “the overall impression of the product explicitly linked to rugby, a rules-based contact sport and whilst it could result in injury, injuries did not directly link to intentional violence”.
As the complaint was not upheld, no further action is expected from Blackeye Gin.
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