Cole Palmer’s Nickname And Goal Celebration Trademarks Are Assets Securing His Brand Value

Cole Palmer’s calm, precise play fittingly earned him the nickname “Cold Palmer” and generated success on the pitch for Chelsea and England. Now, Palmer is pairing recent soccer victories with wins at the United Kingdom’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO). The 23 year old superstar successfully trademarked “Cold Palmer” and his signature “shivering” goal celebration. Off the pitch, Cole Palmer’s nickname and goal celebration trademarks are assets securing his brand value.

Palmer’s layered trademark strategy suggests a shift in how athletes consider their personal branding. Players are increasingly turning their sights beyond endorsement deals to building the asset classes that drive their market value.

Building the ‘Cold Palmer’ Brand

Filed through his company Palmer Management Limited, the “Cold Palmer” trademark registration grants the midfielder exclusive legal rights to use the nickname for a large variety of commercial goods. The exhaustive list of covered products ranges from the obvious (clothing) to the more curious (soaps, bath salts, drones, and even Christmas crackers). Palmer’s trademark means that no third-parties can legally sell “Cold Palmer” branded merchandise falling within the covered product categories, unless they obtain a license from Palmer Management Limited. Thus, this move not only allows Palmer to grow his merchandise enterprise, but gain licensing income.

Trademarking “Cold Palmer” wasn’t without hurdles. Palmer’s initial application was challenged by prestigious French winemaker Château Palmer, who opposed the footballer’s attempt to include wine under the trademark. Working tactically, Palmer’s legal team moved to amend the application and remove wine from the listing. Palmer can still use the brand on other alcoholic drinks, such as liqueurs and spirits.

After his nickname application was approved, Palmer’s team quickly moved to protect what is arguably Palmer’s most recognizable asset: the celebration fueling his “Cold” persona.

How a Gesture Becomes Trademarked

After scoring goals, Palmer always engages in a celebratory gesture where he crosses his arms and shivers, as if he is unfazed by whatever pressure was previously in front of him. The application, which reportedly included a video clip of Palmer performing the shiver, will give him a registered commercial right to use the specific gesture.

The IPO’s decision raised commentary and concerns across the intellectual property and footballing worlds alike, because Palmer has openly stated that he didn’t invent the celebration. Rather, he adopted it from former Manchester City academy teammate and current Aston Villa player, Morgan Rogers. Rogers confirmed as much last year, adding that Palmer was a friend and that he was proud of his blossoming career. Yet, Palmer has claimed that while other players have performed the move, “everybody knows it is my celebration.” As the IPO’s decision showed, who invented a celebration gesture isn’t the key factor in determining its trademarkability.

A ‘Bundle of Rights’: Palmer’s Legal Playbook

Crucially, in applying to trademark the shiver celebration, Palmer’s actions weren’t about claiming artistic originality. Notably, artistic originality falls under copyright law. Instead, these claims are made under trademark law, an area of the law concerned with source identification.

A trademark’s primary function is to tell consumers where a given product or service is coming from. In registering his goal celebration, Palmer’s legal team successfully argued that the shivering gesture had acquired “secondary meaning.” In other words, consumers now associate the gesture with Palmer due to his widely heralded performance and the media’s “Cold Palmer” narrative. While this trademark right does not allow Palmerr to prevent Morgan Rogers or others from performing the celebration on the pitch, it prevents them or other third-parties from depicting the shivering celebration (or the gesture itself in an ad) to sell products. Thus, the trademark insulates Palmer against implied endorsements using his prominent celebration.

Palmer’s legal strategy can be described as assembling a “bundle of registered rights.” By registering his own name, his nickname, his autograph, his facial image, and now his celebration, Palmer is creating a comprehensive trademark portfolio. This sort of compilation is less of a defensive tool to sue other players, but an offensive commercial weapon, showing potential partners like Nike or other brands that Palmer’s personality rights have a clear title and demonstrable value.

The most immediate impact of Palmer’s new trademark rights will come in commercial licensing agreements. Video games like EA Sports FC will need to negotiate a separate licensing deal with him beyond the standard player image rights agreement if they want to include the iconic celebration in the game. Such gives Palmer direct leverage that will surely translate into handsome financial compensation. Palmer has similar leverage with his own club, as standard player contracts typically do not cover the registered trademarks of a given athlete. For Chelsea to be able to sell a “Cold Palmer” line of merchandise or items featuring their star’s celebration, they’ll likely need to enter into a separate commercial agreement with Palmer Management Limited.

The Next Generation: The Growth of the “Athlete-CEO”

Palmer is not the first player to secure his own personal brand rights, but his comprehensive provides an updated playbook for athletes. He joins an ever-growing list of “Athlete-CEOs” who have use trademark law to protect their personal brands. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo owns the trademark rights to his signature “Siuuu” celebration and the “CR7” trademark, which is a global brand. Similarly, superstar Kylian Mbappé has trademarked his initials and his arms-crossed celebration, as well as several quotes. Gareth Bale registered his “Eleven of Hearts” celebration logo.

Cole Palmer’s recent trademark moves are a masterclass in modern brand building. Cole Palmer’s nickname and goal celebration trademarks are assets securing his brand value beyond his promising playing career.