Is Fergie treading a fine line with pen ‘ad’ aimed at fans?
Forbidden from exploiting the ‘ Sussex royal’ trademark around the world, the duke and duchess of Sussex should take a leaf out of Fergie’s book.
For i can disclose that the irrepressible Sarah, duchess of York, has alighted on a new way to bring home the bacon — by forging a commercial partnership with one of the most illustrious italian manufacturers of luxury goods, Montegrappa.
Fergie has teamed up with the company to bring out a new range of fountain pens, inspired by the colours of nature.
‘i’m old-fashioned and almost always work in long hand,’ says the 60-year-old children’s author on social media, explaining that all her words flow onto the page from Montegrappa nibs.
‘i use one of these pens to write my books.’
The 18-carat gold nib on every pen is engraved with Fergie’s personal monogram ‘ S’. The price? A snip at £2,000 apiece.
Fergie’s spokesman hastens to explain that the duchess does not lay claim to the lion’s share of the takings. ‘She gets a small royalty,’ he tells me. ‘She gives a percentage of that to the charity Street Child.’
There appears, though, to be a fly in Fergie’s inkwell, as Matt
Wilson, media and public affairs manager for the Advertising Standards Agency, explains.
‘if the duchess has entered into a commercial relationship with the fountain pen brand,’ he tells me, ‘that is an ad and it should be disclosed as an ad.
‘As members of the public, we should all know when what we see and hear and interact with is advertising. When it comes to social media, that means full disclosure.’
Fergie’s spokesman insists she has done nothing wrong. ‘it’s very clear on all the social media postings by the duchess that it is a commercial venture,’ says a spokesman.