Dive Brief:

• Mini acted quickly in the wake of Abby Wambach’s early Sunday DUI arrest to pull ads featuring the retired U.S. women's soccer star.
• The BMW-owned car brand also said it was re-evaluating its relationship with Wambach, according to a report by Ad Age.
• The ads pulled by Mini include its “Defy Labels” campaign that was part of the auto maker’s Super Bowl effort, as well as an online video.

Dive Insight:

Mini distanced itself from the incident immediately and in a statement obtained by Ad Age stressed that safety is a top priority for them.

"We're obviously concerned about the alleged DUI attributed to Abby Wambach. This behavior is against the values we promote as an organization and the safety of everyone on the road is a priority here at Mini," the automaker said in a statement. "Because of this, we are re-evaluating her association with the brand and are pulling content that individually features Abby from our marketing. We will continue to assess the situation and weigh our options."

Last month a number of brands, including Nike and Porsche, suspended their relationship with tennis professional Maria Sharapova after she admitted to failing a drug test at the Australian Open.

Incidents like Wambach’s and Sharapova’s highlight the risks associated with aligning brands with personalities as representatives of the brand. In Wambach’s case, the alleged driving under the influence offense and brand were more closely tied because of the automotive angle. According to Ad Age's report, Wambach was arrested driving a Range Rover and not a Mini. Still, Mini's fast acting at the first sign of trouble will help it if it has to do further damage control.