Honey Stinger to drop Lance Armstrong's endorsement, imagery
On the day that Lance Armstrong stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong charity, along with Nike and others dropping him as a spokesman, Colorado-based energy food maker Honey Stinger followed suit.
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Lance Armstrong will no longer adorn the packaging of Honey Stinger products.
On the day that Armstrong stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong charity, along with Nike and others dropping him as a spokesman, Colorado-based energy food maker Honey Stinger followed suit.
“We are in the process of removing Lance Armstrong’s image and endorsement from our product packaging,” Honey Stinger co-owner Len Zanni told SNEWS. “While this presents short-term challenges, we look forward to growing our brand and offering our customers the best products possible.”
The decision comes a week after the United States Anti-Doping Agency released its evidence against Armstrong, claiming the cyclist not only used performance enhancing drugs to help win his seven Tour de France titles, but also was at the center of coordinating the doping for his U.S. team.
What makes the Honey Stinger decision interesting is that Armstrong is, and will remain, a part-owner of the company. He helped inspire the brand’s iconic honey waffles, according to Honey Stinger’s marketing.
A few weeks before Wednesday’s decision, Zanni told SNEWS he felt that Armstrong would always support what’s best for the business, even if it meant disconnecting his public promotion of the company — an action that’s now a reality.
Armstrong joined Honey Stinger’s ownership in 2008. The company was founded in 2002 and continues to operate in Steamboat Springs, Colo.
