Clarins drops Pistorius in Thierry Mugler perfume ads

Paris, Feb 20 (AFP) French cosmetics firm Clarins said today it was dropping an advertising campaign featuring South African track star Oscar Pistorius as he faces charges of murdering his girlfriend. Pistorius, the 26-year-old double amputee Paralympic champion known as the "Blade Runner", had featured since 2011 in advertisements for the "A*Men" fragrance of the Thierry Mugler brand, part of the Clarins group. "Out of respect and compassion for the families implicated in this tragedy, Thierry Mugler Perfumes has taken the decision to withdraw all its campaigns with Oscar Pistorius," the group said in a statement. Several campaigns featuring Pistorius have been withdrawn since his arrest last week, with sports giant Nike and sunglasses maker Oakley also cutting ties with the athlete. Pistorius rejects the charge of murder in the shooting of his 29-year-old girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day. (AFP) SHN SHN 02202115 NNNN