Adverts in which you won’t see a footballer

John Terry's 'image' on a packet of cigarettes in India

In a rather bizarre story, an image of John Terry (or at least someone that looks uncannily like him) has somehow found its way onto packets of cigarettes in India.

The Chelsea captain’s representatives are looking into the matter and are considering legal action after the blurred image appeared on the Gold Flake packets above a “smoking kills” warning.

In this instance, Terry hasn’t given his consent for his picture to be used, but most of the time footballers are more than happy to lend their image to a product.

The football elite will advertise just about anything, from Armani underwear to erectile disfunction awareness, but a line has to be drawn somewhere… surely? Here are a few advertising campaigns we (probably) won’t be seeing…

Advertising fireworks could be a step too far, even for Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli – Fireworks

The Manchester City striker would perhaps not be the best representative for the selling of fireworks. In October the Italian hit the headlines after a pyrotechnic display was set off in the bathroom of his house in Manchester. In an ironic campaign, Balotelli became Manchester’s ambassador for fireworks safety a few days after the incident.

Blackburn Rovers – British beef

Only chicken is on the menu at Ewood Park due to the Blackburn owners’ vested interest in poultry.

David Luiz – The Simpsons boxset

It seems unlikely that the Chelsea defender would want to draw any more attention to his Sideshow Bob likeness than his comical displays already do.

David Luiz's hairstyle has seen his compared to Simpsons character Sideshow Bob

Carlos Tevez – Tesco loyalty card

The Argentine’s sultry antics on the substitutes bench in Munich suggest that loyalty is not his strong point. And on wages reportedly worth £250,000 a week, ‘every little helps’ might sound a little hollow emanating from the striker’s mouth.

Andy Carroll – Newcastle Brown Ale

Harbouring hopes that he could be on the flight to Poland and Ukraine for Euro 2012, advertising the local ale of the north-east would do the Liverpool striker’s reputation as something of a drinker few favours.

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• Georgiegeorge16

  Should footballers really be doing adverts? I don’t think so! They get enough money from just kicking a ball through a net.

• jamesdar

  Other “unsuitable” adverts:
  Luis Suarez for Harmony
  Ashley Cole (or Mario Balotelli) for the National Rifle Association
  Wayne Rooney for pretty much anything