In the world of celebrity and influencer brand deals, a Priceline Pharmacy ambassadorship was long considered the gold standard.
Not only is the chemist chain a brand name trusted by millions, but it also paid very well – just ask the likes of Chrissie Swan, Olivia Molly Rogers and Tanya Hennessy.
But beauty and pharmaceutical industry insiders tell us those halcyon days are over.
‘The golden goose has laid its last egg’ was how one figure put it.
We received a string of tip-offs about the lucrative contracts not being renewed and soon discovered the retailer had quietly dropped its ambassador program in October last year when the brand underwent a ‘refresh and rejuvenation’.
One part of the rebrand was a ‘new visual identity’, spearheaded by design agency Houston Group, which saw the logo modernised into a heart and cross while also maintaining long-established elements of the old brand, namely the colour pink.
The halcyon days of big-money Priceline ambassadorships are over with the pharmacy chain dropping all its celebrity spruikers, including long-time partner Chrissie Swan (pictured at the opening of a new Priceline Pharmacy in Melbourne on May 17, 2022)
But the changes weren’t just cosmetic.
We are told the pharmacy business has undergone a complete change of strategy under new owners Wesfarmers, which bought Priceline from its old parent company Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API) in March 2022.
One component of that strategy is discontinuing the ambassador program, which for years had seen the likes of Swan, Rogers and Hennessy splashed across Priceline stores while promoting the brand’s products across social media.
Swan had a particularly sweet deal with the chemist, said to be in the high six figures (‘perhaps even more’) and which included her Nova radio show, which she co-hosts with Jack Charles, being pumped through Priceline stores.
(Nova still provides in-store audio for Priceline, but it no longer features Swan.)
Hennessy, a comedian and former star of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, was also a long-serving ambassador, clocking up five years.
Her partnership with Priceline’s cosmetics brand Models Prefer was particularly popular.
A source from Swan’s camp tells us there were ‘no hard feelings’ when the ambassadorship came to a natural end last year when her five-year deal expired.
We received tip-offs about the contracts not being renewed and discovered the retailer had quietly dropped its ambassador program in October last year. Olivia Molly Rogers’ (pictured) contract with Priceline ended in 2023, a year before the cull, were were told
We had a similar response from Tanya’s people who stressed the relationship ended on good terms.
Rogers’ Priceline contract ended in 2023, a year before the cull, were were told.
While they may have been amicable break-ups, one industry source tells us the end of Priceline’s ambassador program will be keenly felt by celebs and influencers.
‘It was good, steady money, and very legit,’ they said.
‘It’s the sort of deal you call “mortgage money”. Pays well, brand-safe, feels premium. The celebrities will definitely miss it.
‘And it’s not just Instagram posts – you’re on TV, in-store advertising, your name is on products that people actually buy.’
In the background of this, Wesfarmers is planning to double the size of the Priceline business within the next five years, both by maximising existing outlets and growing the number of pharmacies within the network.
Evidently the WA-based conglomerate, which also owns Bunnings, Kmart and Officeworks, reckons it can achieve this without a roster of celebrity ambassadors.
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