 Four Rules for Sponsorship Or, The Celebrity Pothole By Michael Willard |
We were 24 hours away from shooting a series of television spots in Los Angeles. The talent, well-known celebrity impersonator Rich Little, was to do a series of 15-second comedy sketches for the client, a bank. Then, we hit a celebrity pothole.
In what was either monumental bad luck or good fortune - depending on one's point of view - the No. 2 marketing person at the bank just happened to hear a radio report that comic Little had been involved in a mini-scandal - and there was film at 11.
By Hollywood standards, it was a mere dustup, a matter for consenting adults. But in small town U.S. Bible Belt America, it was writ large in living Technicolor. We're talking Charleston, West Virginia where, a few miles outside of town, they still talked in tongues and handled snakes at religious services.
The conservative client immediately cancelled the commercials, costing us a bundle in prepaid expenses.
Little, ever gracious, said it was all a misunderstanding, but returned his talent deposit. However, the sound stage had been booked, special equipment obtained and our hand-picked director had been flown in from Detroit.
Such is the danger of using personalities to help market your product or service. This comes to mind now as diet product Slim Fast fired actress and standup comic Whoopi Goldberg for off-color remarks she made at a public event about President George W. Bush.
Celebrity sponsorships and endorsements can cause a product to soar - such as when Sarah Jessica Parker's "Sex and the City" character paraded around in Manolo Blahnik footwear. Previously a brand for the rich and famous, every woman in New York City soon wanted a pair, as seen on the popular series.
Ever hear of Karolina? Having entered a competition, she found there were already two other Karolinas on the bill. She quickly decided to reverse the letters in the name, and Ani Lorak was born. She won, and the name stuck.
My company enlisted the newcomer to perform on behalf of Kraft's Korona chocolate bar in Ukraine. It was a match made in heaven. Ms. Lorak's career took off and the brand became even more well-known.
However, missteps with celebrity endorsers have been many, resulting in marketing fender-benders, and, on occasion, a multi-career tragedy. This brings us to our first rule on choosing a celebrity sponsor:
Know the risk. Be prepared for the consequences.
When my old company lost impersonator Little, we jumped back into the same L.A. pond, hiring a little-known up-and-comer named Larry Miller, whose primary previous credit had been as a fawning shopkeeper in the film "Pretty Woman."
However, as a standup comic, Miller had the reputation as the "clean comedian," and other West Coast comedians respected him. Soon after he finished filming our three 15-second spots for a bargain basement talent fee of $15,000, he was offered an HBO special and later went on to star in several television series.
We felt the risk with Miller would be small. However, Hertz probably felt the same when the brought on O.J. Simpson as its primary spokesperson. Who would have thought that celebrity Martha Stewart, who starred in her own commercials for Martha Stewart Living, would be facing jail time?
Catch a rising star - not a fading, expensive one.
Miller and Ms. Lorak were on the ascent. I once also helped sign the operatic rock singer Meat Loaf for an event. Was he on his way up? Yes, but it was his second or third time around.
The celebrity should have some relevance to THE product or service you are selling, as well as believability.
America's dairy industry came out with a $110 million "milk mustache" campaign, in which superstars from models to actors and Olympians appeared with the famous white upper lip. Post-campaign studies showed it was only marginally effective, considering the money spent. It wasn't relevant, much less believable.
On the other hand, golfer Tiger Woods, even in his present slump, can endorse anything from casual clothing to automobiles and maintain his relevance quotient and his believability. I honestly can't think of a product pugilist Mike Tyson could safely endorse.
When I enlisted billiard great Rudolph "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone in my own company ad, with the motif being a small town pool hall, it had relevance. He was also an acquaintance, and offered his name for a token $100. Ms. Lorak's sultry singing about the intense taste of chocolate helped sell a boatload of Korona, based on believability.
Think in the long term. Remember Billy Ray Cyrus.
Who? In 1992, there was no one hotter. He had a crossover country song called "Achy, Breaky Heart" that initiated the line dancing craze. Some felt another Elvis was in the making. He wasn't. He was a one-hit wonder, and two-years later, he was forgotten.
Products become tired brands. So do personalities. Some are flashes in the pan.
Think Old Spice and Brylcreem.
The Monkees and Elvis Costello. Think Howard Dean.
|
Read also previous issue' articles:
Expats: Why Are We Here?
The Luckiest Man Alive
Being Vladimir Putin
The Age of Unreason?
Yes, I Give a Damn
News:
The Rush to Judgment
|
| |
CONTACT US |
|
|
|
