Listening to Bono

I recently wrote about Bono and I just came across his guest Op-Ed in The New York Times. After reading that Bono has backed both conservatives and liberals, I was skeptical about his motives to support so many politicians. However, his opinion piece is very thoughtful and articulate. I recommend that you read it.

Bono is skillful in his delivery. First, he is able to convince any American who has doubted Obama's Nobel Prize that the president is not only deserving, but that his award is indeed the beginning of our ability to promote international growth, stability and peace. By the end of the article, he makes you believe that it's not just Obama that we're talking about, but America's reputation and everything it stands for. It's America and its tried and true legacy as a successful democracy that will allow us to strive towards the eradication of "extreme poverty, extreme ideology and extreme climate change." His article becomes rather uplifting and patriotic, making it hard to disagree with him. He mentions America's good standing in the world and even adds in a little self-deprecation about celebrities:

"That’s why America shouldn’t turn up its national nose at popularity contests. In the same week that Mr. Obama won the Nobel, the United States was ranked as the most admired country in the world, leapfrogging from seventh to the top of the Nation Brands Index survey — the biggest jump any country has ever made. Like the Nobel, this can be written off as meaningless ... a measure of Mr. Obama’s celebrity (and we know what people think of celebrities)."

What does this all mean? I think Bono is not only able to continue to uplift his image with his inspiring words, but he seems to become the master of celebrity endorsers. He is able to shift from one political group to another, from politician to politician, and still remain an effective spokesperson. I think this is quite fascinating compared to the very entrenched politics of the United States and the inability for many high-profile government leaders to move from one side to the other with the ease that Bono does. Bono possesses the ability to move seamlessly throughout the political world because he does not attack sides. He possesses the mass appeal that is needed for successful celebrity endorsements. Even though he was endorsing Obama, his integration of the American legacy into his article enabled his message to hold meaning for many people.

In his support of various kinds of politicians, Bono is also constructive in his commentary and for that reason, people listen. It isn't about Bono, it's about what he has to say. I'm stressing this because this is another important aspect of celebrity endorsements. For example, in the past, Pepsi dropped both Beyonce and Britney because the celebrities received more attention than the product. Their celebrity detracted from the product so completely that they lost their delivery and in turn, lost their deals with Pepsi. Bono, on the other hand, is able to use his celebrity power, to truly deliver his message. When reading the Op-Ed, I forgot that the words were coming from a world-renown musician. This is what makes a successful endorser.

Miley and the FTC Regulation

In my last post, I described the new FTC regulation that will go into effect this December and it's actually having an immediate effect on celebrities. For some teen fans, it was an enormous disappointment to see Miley Cyrus quit her Twitter account a few days ago. Her family members and fans questioned why Miley deleted her account and she explains her reasons in a YouTube video, in which she raps an explanation for her actions. The video is painful to watch, might I add. The reason why I mention this video is that she offers countless reasons as to why she deleted the account, such as her need to live her own personal life and not for the entertainment of others. She also confirmed that no one else influenced her decision.

After this elaborate explanation, it turns out that Miley Cyrus decided to stop using Twitter because of the new FTC regulations to go into effect. Rather than having to disclose all of the products that she was being paid to endorse on her Twitter account, it was decided that it was better to close the entire account. The FTC requirement probably would have referred to every "just about anything the spoiled brat wears, eats or tweets about," as the author of the article kindly puts it.

I'm beginning to realize how many companies use celebrity endorsements without our knowledge. For those who followed Miley on Twitter may have seen her comments or observations about Wal-Mart, for example, without even knowing that she was being paid to mention the store. This is almost a form of subliminal advertising and a way for companies to reach consumers inconspicuously so that we do not tire of seeing/listening to ads. I'm interested to see how else this FTC requirement affects the power and meaning of celebrity endorsements.

You Better Not Lie, I'm Telling You Why...

Starting December 1st, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission is going to hold advertisers accountable to the content of their testimonials. According to Ad Age, testimonials from celebrity endorsers can't just say "results not typical." Instead, the endorser must report precisely how effective the product will be. For example, for products that aid in losing weight, promoting hair growth or reducing acne, the company is required to disclose how effectively the product works for the average user. Jared may have lost sixty pounds eating Subway sandwiches, but does the average Subway consumer typically lose that much? Probably not.

I think that this is an interesting proposition because many ads and their celebrity endorsers may lose their persuasive power if the products are portrayed to produce realistic, rather than dramatic results. Would women have signed up for Jenny Craig, for example, if they had known beforehand that they couldn't lose the same weight that Kirstie Alley did on that food and fitness plan? When a celebrity sells, he/she is usually selling a product that implies access to flawless beauty, untouchable popularity and quick resolutions to big problems. Will the endorsement have the same effect if the celebrity plainly says: "This Neutrogena product only clears the skin of 50 percent of those who use it" or "This weight loss plan only guarantees the average individual to lose up to 15 pounds," will consumers still feel compelled to buy? Aside from this, I think that the FTC plan definitely seems to answer our timeless question: Does the celebrity really use that product and to get those results?

In addition to this, the FTC mandates that companies are much more truthful about those who are secretly promoting their products, especially on blogs. There are so many people (including celebrities) who are speaking highly of certain products, but these "word of mouth" testimonials are actually being propelled by the company, not by product users who are sharing positive comments on their own free will. For example, we know that Tiger Woods starred in Buick ads, but if he happens to mention how much he loves his new Rolex on Twitter, then he has to be clear that he's an endorser for Rolex. I think this is a good policy. And perhaps I can now understand why Burger King makes their endorsers take live lie-detector tests.

Celebrity for a Cause

This week, Bono spoke at the Tory or Conservative Party conference in the U.K. The opinion article, entitled, "Why do politicians--including sadly, the Tories this week--fawn over Bono, a smug hypocritical, whining, tax dodging mounteback?" is rather humorous as Quentin Letts questions Bono's record number of public appearances and his peculiar involvement in political life. Over the years, it seems as though Bono has mastered the ability to skillfully maneuver the complications of partisan politics and put himself into good graces of George W. Bush, Obama, Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair...

Aside from absolutely taunting Bono and his political activism, the article brings up an interesting point. Celebrity endorsements are usually constructed with the desire to sell something. However, do these powerful political figures really need Bono as a selling point? Does Bono put himself in the spotlight to promote himself and his own music? Two years ago, Bono was one of the stars who worked to promote the RED campaign.

This brings about another dimension of celebrity endorsements. Yes, celebrities offer a face to a cause, whether it be political or philanthropic, but does it bring a great deal of rewards to the celebrity as well? Many celebrities are well known for the causes they promote. According to a BRANDWEEK survey, individuals were able to most easily recall Lance Armstrong's battle with cancer and his LiveStrong campaign, while others were familiar with the works of Brangelina. Brad Pitt helped rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, while Angelina Jolie is well known for her work with UNICEF. Other top celebrity causes include: Tiger Woods (The Tiger Woods Learning Center/Foundation), Bill Gates (for various causes), Al Gore (global warming), George Clooney (Darfur), Michael J. Fox (Parkinson's disease) and Peyton Manning (PeyBack Foundation).

I think that celebrity associations with causes are almost as common as celebrity presence in ads. In fact, the other day, I just saw Gwyneth Paltrow in a public service announcement, in which she calls upon viewers to volunteer in their community. In the ad, Paltrow says, "The biggest blessing in life is to realise your personal power. Community work brings families closer together. Doing good for others, doing positive action always comes back around and enriches your life. It's the biggest gift you could give yourself. Please join us in volunteering."

What does this all mean? I think that if the celebrity is promoting a good cause, then they automatically reap the benefits of possessing an image as a philanthropist (ie. Brangelina), but this might backfire as this is a rather transparent approach (which may have evoked such criticism of Bono in the opinion piece). It seems as though most people agree with this: 68.8% would only commit to the cause if the celebrity had been personally affected by the cause they were promoting. This must mean that celebrities endorsements for causes certainly help their image, but only to a certain point. That's right celebrities, we know what you're up to!

Destroying Brand Image

This week, I saw a short article announcing that Kanye West's tour "Fame Kills" with Lady Gaga has been cancelled. Kanye West has been under the microscope since he stole the spotlight from Taylor Swift during the MTV Video Music Awards. This is just one example of how celebrities can ruin their chances at scoring endorsement deals.

Even though consumers generally hold preconceived notions about celebrity endorsers, stars aren't invincible in their position of power. If a celebrity has even one incident of inappropriate or questionable behavior, a company will quickly drop an endorser. If the cancellation of Kanye's concert is any indication of his popularity with the people, then a corporation would never renew an endorsement deal.

At the current moment, I don't think that Kanye is signed with any companies, though he does have his own line, Louis Vuitton Don sneakers. Though the line is new and fashionable, recently released in June 2009, consumers would probably not buy if they knew that Kanye West designed them. Clearly, the reputation and character of the star is everything and thus the element that makes celebrity endorsement such a corporate liability.

Born to Fit

This past August, the Gap released its 1969 premium denim jean collection. The Gap was also celebrating its 40th anniversary. The launch of the collection entailed in-store parties, the creation of a Facebook page and most importantly, celebrity endorsements.

As I mentioned previously, companies often use celebrities to endorse their products because they have "stopping power." Their popularity is used to stop the consumer and "draw attention to advertising messages in a very cluttered media environment" (Belch 184). However, most of the time, celebrity endorses often possess an image that the company wants to project onto the product. The Gap aimed to make this collection a testament to the fact that this classic store brand is for everyone, thus the campaign mantra: "Born to Fit."

The new premium jeans collection from The Gap

has a style that fits every body type, including "petite,"

"athletic build," "pear-shaped" and "lanky."

While the phrase, "Born to Fit" seems to immediately apply that the jean collection is physically for any shape or size, The Gap pushed to appeal to a widespread audience, attempting to associate their line with a unique and free-spirited lifestyle. In order to do this, The Gap appealed to celebrity endorsers. These individuals are not so famous that the common consumer of pop culture could identify them. In this way, these celebrities were carefully selected so that their own unique life story would project upon the product (the jean collection). Each of these celebrity "stories" are captured with a variation of the "Born to Fit" catchphrase. Below is a list of the endorsers:

• Anni Rossi, a young singer, violinist and keyboardist from Minnesota who was born to play.
• Tom Szaky, a young Harvard drop-out named the "No. 1 CEO Under 30" by Inc. Magazine in 2006 [beating Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg] for his work as co-founder of TerraCycle, Inc., the world's first products made from and packaged in waste, who was born to inspire.
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach, a stage and screen actor known for The Lake House, John Adams and most recently The Marc Pease Experiencewith Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman, who was born to be curious.
• Melissa Kushner, founder and executive director of Goods for Good, a non-profit organization that provides essential goods to children in Africa, who was born to do good.
• Eisa Davis, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright, actor, singer and songwriter known for writing Angela's Mixtape, who was born to do it all.
• Anna Gaskell, an American photographer from Iowa who has participated in Moving Pictures at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, was born to embrace uncertainty.
• Alessandro Nivola, an American actor from Massachusetts known for roles in Best Laid Plans and Jurassic Park III, who was born to take risks.
• Sonya Walger, a British actress known for her role on HBO's Tell Me You Love Me and the star of ABC's new series Flash Forward, who was born to feel.
• Cassidy, actress, songwriter and former lead singer of female rock quintet Antigone Rising, who was born to empower.

There is something quite remarkable about this selection of individuals to endorse the brand and how specific the company was in tailoring its image. This list consists of thinkers, innovators and artists, who represent qualities of deep emotion, altruistic philanthropy, and distinct leadership. The celebrity endorsers are not only meant to create the collection as representative of all-American brand, but also individuals that inspire and in turn, consumers would be compelled to buy in order to imitate their free-spirited style.

I think this is a very interesting and complex use of the celebrity endorsement. This type of advertising might be even more powerful than ads with the most famous stars because they do not embody the epitome of beauty or glamour, yet still possess the ability to persuade and influence the consumer.

Fast Food & Dept. Store Fall for Edward Cullen

True or False? Only teenage girls can fall for Edward Cullen.

Answer: FALSE.

With the upcoming release of the film’s second installment, Twilight: New Moon, major corporations are cashing in on the stars of the blockbuster hit. This is only remarkable in that even Burger King has gotten in on the deal.

An article from adweek.com addresses Burger King's experimentation with celebrity endorsement. In September, the fast food chain released a new ad campaign featuring Nascar driver Tony Stewart. In fact, later this month, the company is going to feature a live polygraph test to serve as a real testimonial to Stewart's love of the Whopper. I think this is a rather interesting dimension of celebrity endorsement. It is not enough just to feature the star, but to take risks to earn consumer trust.

Now, it turns out that Burger King is not only going after Nascar, but Twilight. Burger King will be working with Summit Entertainment to promote the film and put the young stars at the forefront of the fast food business.

Beginning November 16th, Burger King will be selling "holiday six-pack meals," which include "New Moon merchandise offers, coupons at retail outlets and collectible cards." While BK has gone so far as to provide a polygraph-based testimonial from the Nascar driver, its motives to associate its company with vampire characters may be unclear. Popularity is not the only or predominant reason for choice of celebrity endorsement. Either way, these movie stars are a very unique choice for fast food.

The new odd-couple, Burger King and Twilight, may have competition from Nordstrom. This upscale department store is another unlikely company seeking to make the most of the Twilight franchise. Starting this October, the store will launch the clothing line promoting the Twilight series.

It seems clear that these corporations are anxious to become a part of the enthralling "Team Edward or Team Jacob?" debate, but the question is why. In Burger King's Tony Stewart endorsement, BK is working tirelessly to substantiate his credibility, yet has no problem putting a vampire in a Happy Meal. Must investigate.