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.
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."
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 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:
Taco Bell recently suffered from the wrath of a celebrity after using 50 Cent in an ad campaign without telling him about the mention of his name. The fast food company tried to use 50 Cent in an advertisement, a comic letter addressed to 50 Cent, asking if he'd change his name to 79, 89 or 99 Cent in promotion of the chain's low-cost menu. The rapper sued Taco Bell for $4 million due to the fact that he was being used to endorse the fast food without his knowledge. Customers also thought that he had "sold out" due to the widespread endorsement, which is not favorable for either the credibility of the endorser or the brand.
The FTC disclosure policy, which goes into effect tomorrow, will start penalizing companies, not the individuals who make the undisclosed endorsements. This has come to the attention of the media when tennis star Serena Williams recently tweeted twice about Nabisco's 100 Calorie Pack snacks without disclosure. In fact, Serena and her sister, Venus Williams, as well as Eli and Payton Manning are "brand ambassadors" for Nabisco. They appeared in various Nabisco commercials, including the Oreo Double Stuf Racing League campaign. The FTC keeps stressing that the celebrity in blogs, tweets or otherwise must let consumers know that they are singing praises for a product because they are being paid to do so! It was only after buzz about her tweets that she also mentioned that she was shooting the commercial with her sister.
The famous talk show host Oprah Winfrey, also the first African American woman to become a billionaire, just announced that next year she will step down from her talk show after 25 seasons. This is no better time than to look back on Oprah’s accomplishments, especially as the queen of celebrity endorsers. Her most recent successes include the voicing the Eudora, the mother of the first African American Disney princess, Tiana in The Princess and the Frog, and producer of the successful film, Precious.
There’s a lot people know about Oprah: she starred in The Color Purple and then produced it on Broadway, had Tom Cruise jump on her couch and loves John Travolta. She even has her own magazine, which Ellen DeGeneres dressed up as for Halloween and created her own television network for women, Oxygen. But if there’s anything that the public knows about celebrity power, it’s that everything that Oprah touches turns to gold.
Each week 44 million people tune into The Oprah Winfrey Show, making any product she recommends increase in sales. On Oprah’s Favorite Things, she features her product selections during the holiday season and offers these products as gifts to members of the audience. It is estimated that about 20 companies “strike gold” after being featured on her annual Favorite Things episode. In 2004, for example, “We Take the Cake” bakery shop was on the verge of bankruptcy until it was featured on the show. Soon after the feature, ten thousand cakes were sold and it became a million dollar business that sells high-end wedding cakes that sell from $5,000 to $20,000. In 2002 and 2005, Oprah recommended Garrett’s Popcorn in Chicago. After the first feature, sales in the month of December increased 100 percent and the company went from making the popcorn from 8 hours per day to 24 hours per day. Last year, when Oprah recommended Amazon’s wireless reading device Kindle, the gadget was sold out during the rest of the 2008 holiday season. Oprah’s Book Club, established in 2006, has also turned her books of choice into New York Times best sellers.
Oprah’s endorsements aren’t just limited to cakes, books and electronics, but boosting others to fame. It is because of Oprah that Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz and Rachael Ray are so well known and now have television shows of their own. A study also showed that in her first public endorsement of Barack Obama may have won him one million votes. In the beginning of Oprah’s new season, the Black Eyed Peas performed, after which sales jumped 29 percent. Her interview with Whitney Houston caused her album sales to jump up 77 percent.
Oprah is also one of the leading celebrities in endorsing philanthropic causes. Whether it’s Oprah's Angel Network General Fund, O Ambassadors or the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls South Africa, Oprah has raised millions for charity.
As I previously mentioned in a past blog, Oprah has been named on of the most trustworthy celebrities. When named one of TIME Magazine’s most influential people, the article mentioned Oprah’s television power to blend public and private lives, linking strangers with stories and information in the privacy of their own homes. It is for this reason that viewers almost feel that they know Oprah and believe in her genuine desire for the wellbeing of others and the world. This gives her the real power of endorsement. There’s been no other single individual who has had so much celebrity power and credibility than Oprah.
