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Stars Stumping For Foreign Goods
This morning I left Cannes very early to catch a flight home. As we drove I noticed more examples of what is a most common trend:
Celebrities doing foreign print campaigns.
Do you recall the character played by Bill Murray in 'Lost in Translation', who pimps himself for some kind of after dinner drink brand all over Japan? Well, there's a little bit of that guy in so many of our celebs.
George Clooney on countless billboards, posing almost identically to the Bill Murray character, for Nespresso (caffeinated hot cocoa maybe?).
Clive Owen giving his best debonair for 'Hypnose' cologne.
Demi Moore for Helena Rubinstein face sculptor....
Tim Burton for Samsung.
I remember seeing Ben Affleck and Brad Pitt both striking it sexy on a Paris subway years ago...
From sunglasses to watches, cologne and skin creams, they're everywhere but in America it seems. This strategy must mean we (Americans) are too judgmental or the fear of over exposure at one's base (home country) looms too large.
Whatever the reason, I am all but certain that Nespresso is forbidden to run the smoldering coffee ads here in the states...would George laugh about them? He's very good at self-deprecation, but in this case, I am not so sure.
Now if I see him modeling Kimonos in Japan, the gloves come off.
Hi there, Billy :)
While I have heard about celebrities advertising products in the European market, I've also noticed more and more that major celebrities are lending their voices to advertisments here in the U.S. George Clooney has lent his gorgeous voice (sigh...)to bottled water and a major-label beer, Kevin Spacey gives the classiest car commercial narrations I've ever heard, Christian Slater hypes home entertainment technology, Susan Sarandon advertises frozen foods. There are many more.
But I think there's a huge opportunity for American celebrity marketing with the cast of the CBS show 'Jericho' which was recently cancelled, leaving viewers hanging at a crucial point in the story. Fans have been sending thousands and thousands of pounds of fresh-roasted peanuts to CBS headquarters in hopes they will bring 'Jericho' back for a second season. If they do, I'll be looking for the 'Jericho' cast to star in some ads for Planters Peanuts and to see Planters as a new sponsor for the show!
You know what, Billy, you ought to interview Skeet and the rest of the 'Jericho' cast and see how they feel about all of this!
You and Nancy do an outstanding job...thanks for keeping us all informormed and for your great celebrity interveiws!
Have a great day!
Deb
Hey Billy... someone should STICK UP for the girls that are running in & out of rehab- it's obvisious that there's alot of pain & torment coursing threw them- maybe if someone REACHED OUT PUBLICALLY with "the truth" about addiction.. which is only to mask hidden emotions- or to cope with reality... maybe these beautiful, talented--& VERY LUCKY young ladies- would stop self destructing before our eyes. I think it's a shame they have EVERYTHING anyone could ever want-- but still they hurt like all the rest of us, and must not be singled out- they're human to. Take Care Billy Baby :).