PERNOD RICARD just announced the disposal of the whisky brand CLAN CAMPBELL, a symbolic disposal for several reasons:

CLAN CAMPBELL mostly knew to its entry level “blended” whisky was one of the first PERNOD RICARD acquisitions outside the French pastis business in 1974. It was also the first indication of its will to become a global spirit group.

CLAN CAMPBELL acquisition rationale was to address the rising popularity of whisky within the French rising middle class in the seventies when whisky was taking market share away from traditional homegrown brandies such as Pastis or Dubonnet. Thanks to the strong PERNOD RICARD local penetration, CLAN CAMPBELL became a leading low-end whisky brand in France and Spain and one of the flagship brands of the group.

PERNOD RICARD is now selling CLAN CAMPBELL 49 years later. Key markets for PERNOD RICARD are not any more France or Spain as it was in the early seventies but the US and emerging markets. CLAN CAMPBELL is not a key brand in these markets.  Moreover, Pernod has launched a premiumization of its portfolio following Remy Cointreau and Moet Hennessy strategy and the low end “blended” positioning of CLAN CAMPBELL whisky brand does not fit anymore in this strategy.