Hilary's A Femme

Pop singer Hilary Duff, who has recently guest starred on Gossip Girl, launched a clothing line in partnership with fashion powerhouse DKNY. The clothing line called "Femme" seems to reflect "rocker chic with a soft touch." Hilary said: “I have always adored and worn DKNY Jeans, so it made perfect sense to reach out to them. We hit it off immediately, sharing a design vision offering something special for young women like me.” Kevin Monogue, President of DKNY Jeans, expresses the connection that she has to a young female demographic: "Hilary's influence over this particular demographic cannot be overstated. From film, TV to fragrance, there's an ability to connect with her on so many levels."

In the video below, she explains that these jeans reflect her style and it's something that she wants to give to her fans in order to make that style "accessible" to them. This is the classic basis for celebrity endorsements and the ability to sell the celebrity personality, including style.

Pretty Woman for Lancome

Lancome has the right pretty woman for their new ad campaign. Famous A-list actress Julia Roberts has been named as a "Global Ambassador" for Lancome. As soon as Reese Witherspoon was given the title, Avon's sales increased 6 percent in less than 2 months. It will be interesting to see if the face of Julia will have a direct impact on sales. While Kate Winslet and Anne Hathaway have been faces of the brand, Roberts is the first ambassador for the entire Lancome brand.

Lancome's international president Youcef Nabi said: "By her remarkable personality and career, Julia Roberts is an emblematic woman of her time. Her exceptional talent, her radiance and her strong commitments, perfectly echo Lancome's values. We are convinced she will embody the brand in the most sublime way possible."

And All That Jazz

It seems as though celebrities are also very skilled at selling Broadway productions: Joey Fatone of 'NSync in Little Shop of Horrors, Beyonce in Aida, Daniel Radcliffe in Equus etc. Currently, Catherine Zeta Jones is in A Little Night Music and Julia Stiles in Oleanna. However, it's clear that some stars draw audiences more than others, which informs us of two things: 1. celebrities are used to sell productions 2. if the performance is weak, just like the brand-product match-up, the celebrity name will not bring sales.

The long-running Chicago has consistently bought in stars this year, first Chandra Wilson from popular television show, Grey's Anatomy and now 21-year old Ashlee Simpson, younger sister of pop star Jessica. Ashlee plays character Roxie Hart, though it would be interesting to see if this changes ticket sales, as she hasn't been credible in the past, ie. accused of lip-synching.

Tiger In Trouble

Tiger Woods at a game with daughter and wife, Elin.

Tiger Woods is probably the most powerful athlete celebrity endorser and his image has worked effectively in ads up until this point, except perhaps his mismatched endorsement for Buick. Nike alone used Woods to create Nike Golf, one of the fastest growing brands in the industry and manufacturing golf balls that Tiger Woods himself used in the U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship (Belch 175). Now, Tiger Woods is at risk for losing his lucrative endorsements due to the exposure of his affair. After a car accident last week, the media delved into Tiger's life, which led to his ultimate confession of an affair, which is backed up with the evidence of over 300 text messages between him and his mistress. According to PR experts:

Woods sponsorship and endorsement deals include Gatorade, Accenture, AT&T, EA Sports, Gillette, Nike and NetJets. Thus far Woods’ sponsors have not commented on his status with them. However, Bank of America said it will continue its talks about taking on a broader role with the Tiger Woods Foundation.