As part of a popular form of advertising and branding campaign, using celebrities can be very lucrative for just about any product or service. The familiar name and face alone can product amazing results. In earlier times, it seemed that it was mostly the well-known sports icons that participated in many product sponsorships. However, in recent times, many celebrities have taken to the small screen to endorse products. Below are some celebrity product endorsements that consumers may find surprising.
1. Shannen Doherty – Most known as Brenda Walsh in the TV series “90201,” this “bad girl” has become a spokeswoman for the Education Connection online college resource. According to reports, Ms. Doherty has been earning her online liberal arts degree, which is what prompted her to endorse Education Connection. One of the commercials shows Shannen studying on a plane, to demonstrate how portable it is using Wi-Fi at any location.
2. 50 Cent – The well known best selling rapper has begun investing and endorsing Vitamin Water-maker Glaceau. The product sold to the Coca-Cola empire for $4.1 billion in 2007, a deal that resulted in an estimated $100 million for 50 Cent. No stranger to entrepreneurship, the rapper also known as Curtis Jackson has numerous non-music projects, such as founding and running a major record label under Interscope. He has also launched very successful clothing and athletic shoe lines.
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3. Lady Gaga – The singer and performance artist has always made a point of being original. However, she has chosen to endorse a long standing product by reviving it using her creativity. The Polaroid brand has inked a multi-year partnership with Lady Gaga, as the creative director for a specialized line of imaging products. The singer has also made special appearances at booths promoting Polaroid at venues such as the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
4. Ozzy Osbourne – Known for his outrageous antics on stage, the Devil rocker not only let the world into his home life on reality TV, but is the star of an “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” TV commercial. Impersonator Jon Culshaw is also a part of the 7-million-pound campaign that included a relaunch and new recipe for the popular butter alternative, as well as a new package design.
5. Kim Kardashian – As the frontrunner of the Kardashian empire, Ms. Kardashian is no stranger to product marketing. While she and her sisters have a line of clothing, Kim has also been seen pitching a number of products, from weight loss pills to hair products. One of her more interesting endorsements is Charmin Toilet Paper, where she attended the opening of Charmin toilets at the 5th Annual Charmin Restrooms in New York City and cut the Charmin ribbon.
6. Justin Beiber – The ever popular young singer has developed his very own nail polish line with Nicole by OPI. Millions of bottles have been sold and the manufacturer had to ship triple the usual number of bottles of the polish to keep up with the massive demand. Named after one of his songs, “The One Less Lonely Girl” collection is also designed to raise awareness of a nonprofit that Bieber supports, “Pencils of Promise,” that builds schools around the globe.
The above are just a few of the well known people who are using their fame to promote the not so typical products or services that consumers use. While manufacturers of clothing and perfumes used to be the order of the day, celebrity endorsements continue to break new boundaries in television, print, radio and online ads, often including their attendance at launch event appearances. As a result, the success of celebrity sponsorships is expected to continue to trend upward.