Our team helps brands, their agencies and nonprofit organizations by assessing the business value of celebrities, negotiating smart partnerships and activating each program. We provide fast and accurate information and recommend talent based on many factors including their relevance, points of differentiation and cost. The results of our work are seen as television commercials, webisodes, publicity programs, YouTube posts, celebrity seeding, social media » Read More
It's a process we at Octagon First Call live everyday - negotiating endorsement deals. If you've seen the HBO hit Entourage then you are familiar with the glamorized version of deal making in Hollywood: lots of shouting, four letter loaded rants and a lie/cheat/steal-do-anything-to-close-a-deal mentality. In La La Land duplicity may be perceived to be key, but leverage is truly king.
Leverage is the key to all types of dealmaking, whether it's the endorsement of an A-list actor or the purchase of a good used car. Getting a sweet price on a second hand ride may not be as glamorous as locking in Brad Pitt for a Heineken spot, but at its core there are some fantastic similarities in how leverage is applied in tactics and process.
Car buying/education site Edmunds.com has a great article outlining the process a professional car buyer goes through when sourcing a good deal for his client (much in the same way we objectively evaluate talent and negotiate endorsement deals for our clients). Check it out here.
A cool (and useful) article on the negotiation process and strategies.
For the past few years, we have preached that the gang on HBO's Entourage would be "next" in line for some endorsement deals. Incredibly, corporate America has not taken advantage of this. I am thinking less of show star Jeremy Pivens (aka Ari Gold) and pretty boy Adrian Grenier (aka Vince) -- but more of the posse -- Kevin Connolly (aka E), Kevin Dillon (aka Johnny Drama) and Jerry Ferrara (aka Turtle).
And especially Drama and Turtle!
These guys nail the male 18-34 audience. They are sports freaks. They scream beer and the NFL. They are New Yorkers. And Drama has the extra bang of being brothers with Matt (Dillon).
They have all made dozens or corporate appearances -- poker events, Las Vegas clubs, etc. -- but we're still waiting for a company to get behind them for a real campaign.
When will it happen?
You've probably seen the TV ads with Kelly and her family talking about the benefits of Electrolux's appliances. There are clear references to who she is and it is easy for the consumer to tie in her celebrity fame, family and product all in one. It is one of the bigger endorsements (outside of the health and beauty category) in the marketplace right now.
I opened USA Today's front section this morning and looked at Electrolux's full page ad on 8A. It is a full page ad (which costs well north of $100,000). With so much space, we feel it is worth identifying her by name. It doesn't have to be in big letters but it's a missed opportunity. (According to E-Poll research, 63% of men and women 25-54 recognize her name -- take advantage of it!).
Creative may argue that she is a star and you don't need to put a name. We disagree on something like this. It's a solid ad and adding a name can only help. Especially because the copy is written like a letter to consumers from her. It would be easy to have her sign it on the bottom. And across the top of the whole ad is a quote from her without attribution.
The amount of influencers who made Forbes annual “Celebrity” 100 list speaks volumes to the transformation of the celebrity landscape. Long gone are the days of actors, athletes, and musicians as the sole players in the game. An influencer, versus a celebrity, is more than just a recognizable name and face. They are able to influence consumers and add a new level of credibility to a company’s marketing strategy. Expect to see more endorsement deals and public appearances in the future that utilize these influencers and speak directly to a specific target market.
Not surprisingly, media mogul Oprah Winfrey remains at the #1 spot on the list, with all-star athlete Tiger Woods at the #2 spot. Power couples Angelina Jolie (#3) & Brad Pitt (#10) and Beyonce (#4) & Jay-Z (#7) also made the top ten.
He has come a long way from Saved by the Bell and his A.C. Slater days. Let's recount the past 18 months.
His stardom rekindled during an impressive run to the Dancing with the Stars finale (lost to champion Emmitt Smith). The Series showcased his charisma, strength and personality. Immediately after the Series finale, he flew to NY with Emmitt and hosted World Children's Day at McDonald's (he is still a spokesperson for the Friends of Ronald McDonald House Charities program). He also appeared at Home & Garden and many other trade shows for personal appearances too.
Last spring, he partnered with PepsiCo (PEP) for a "Smart Spot Dance! initiative, a multi-city instructional dance program that offers a fun way for families, especially Moms, to lead healthy, more active lifestyles." He joined LaChanze, of the Broadway hit, The Color Purple, as a spokesperson.
He hosted the 2007 Miss America pageant (you remember, when the contestant totally messed up her answer to Mario's question). This clip has been played more than 23 million times.
Next Month, Lopez will make his Broadway debut by joining the cast of A Chorus Line beginning April 15. He’ll take a hiatus most of May to promote his new book, Mario Lopez’s Knockout Fitness.
And oh yeah, he endorses Everlast and currently can be seen as a host of "Extra TV" and MTV's "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew”.
The most impressive part is the variety of these projects -- hosting, acting, dancing, fitness, boxing, general market and multi-cultural programs.
It won't be long until he hosts a network show like Ryan Seacrest, Howie Mandel or Tom Bergeron. (Mario already substitutes for Regis from time to time).
Kudos to his manager Mark Schulman and Lisa Perkins his publicist for all of this work too.
Ashton Kutcher is sneaking up to the top of the most marketable men in Hollywood.
He is best known for the television series That '70s Show. He was the creator, executive producer, and host of the MTV celebrity prank show Punk'd and now Pop Fiction And now he is the executive producer for a new ABC sitcom Miss Guided.
USA Today's Laura Petrecca yesterday talked about his latest endorsement project in which he becomes the new face for Nikon's Coolpix digital camera (replacing Kate Moss). TV ads start today. Nikon even has a Ashton specific website address "AshtonsCoolPix.com" taking everyone to their home page.
Also, Baume & Mercier announced in a press release that Kutcher and Teri Hatcher will become new brand ambassadors the watch company. Past ambassadors included Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Basinger and Gary Sinise.
And before acting and serving as a pitchman, he was an aspiring model. Born in Iowa, he moved to New York and within months he was walking the runway in Milan and Paris, for Versace, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger.
And oh yeah, he is married to Demi Moore.
About 10 days ago, Hanes(R) launched its latest integrated marketing campaign featuring NBC's Scrubs star Sarah Chalke. The latest campaign -- No Ride Up Panty -- focuses on women's biggest underwear problem: wedgies! The print advertisement was inspired by her own wedgie mishap on the red carpet.
So we waited a week or two to write about the campaign because we were interested in consumer feedback. Interestingly, we haven't seen much online yet.
The campaign's television spots were directed by her Scrubs co-star Zach Braff.
As the Company's press release says, "... currently available at retail stores, the Hanes No Ride Up Panty is made with super-soft cotton and rolled forward seams specially designed for a better fit that helps women stay "wedgie-free."
TIP: It hasn't been announced yet, but the blogs are talking about Charlie Sheen appearing shortly in the next run of Michael Jordan Hanes spots (previous co-stars include Kevin Bacon and Cuba Gooding Jr.). Stay tuned.
Corbin Bernsen, known for his role as Arnold Becker on L.A. Law during the late 1980s and early 1990s and current host of the GSN game show How Much Is Enough, is now doing commercial work. This time, on behalf of Advantage Tax Resolution, Inc. The company's web site states they are "comprised of a veteran staff of attorneys, CPAs and enrolled agents who focus on finding solutions to every conceivable tax problem. With our headquarters in Beverly Hills, California and our nationwide network of representatives, we have the knowledge, the resources, and the experience required to negotiate tax debt cases and zealously represent clients in all 50 states." Corbin is an interesting choice for the commercial. Audiences 40+ will remember him and he has been out of primetime work so his fee is reasonable. He isn't going to be a lead driver in new business but he does make you stick through the commercial (which helps get through commercial clutter).
Rinnai Corporation, the world's leading gas appliance manufacturer, announced today a partnership with Hall of Fame baseball legend Cal Ripken, Jr. on a multi-year endorsement agreement to promote the benefits of Rinnai's tankless water heating products. As part of the agreement, Ripken will appear in print, radio, television and online advertisements for Rinnai's tankless water heating units as well as make selected appearances on the company's behalf. Rinnai was interested in a spokesperson known for superior performance and reliability. They certainly found that in Ripken, but will that translate into increased sales? It will be interesting to see where exactly these ads end up. This is one deal we will follow to see how it is executed. He and his brother, Billy, are hosts of a baseball talk show on XM Satellite Radio, which is sponsored by Rinnai.
I am always surprised that everyone waits for the Super Bowl to launch their new commercials. I know, I know - it's not just the value of the tens of millions of viewers but the ongoing water cooler conversation and USA Today voting system. I agree. It can be a smart buy for a brand, but I also think launching a spot during this weekend or next weekend's Conference Championships could be effective too. You won't get the female buzz factor as you would during the Super Bowl but you still get 20 million plus viewers and you are not competing with anyone else for water cooler and media time on Monday. Just for Men launched their latest ad starring former Dallas Cowboys great and Dancing with the Stars winner Emmitt Smith during last week's Wildcard games. It was a smart move. The company got some extra ink for a few days after the games because it stood out against old spots.
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