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About First Call

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

Kim Kardashian

The Shrewd and Lucrative Intricacies of The Kardashian Wedding

On August 20, the ubiquitous Kim Kardashian married NBA player Kris Humphries after dating for only a few months.  Media attention swarmed the couple from the moment of their engagement, a momentum that the two eventually turned into dollar signs.  In predictably strategic, Kardashian fashion, the nuptials produced more than just husband and wife – “The American Royal Wedding,” as it’s been called, generated millions for the family.  Those seeking to produce profits out of major events, study up on how to align tradition with profit:

*       Bachelorette/Bachelor party locations
*       Dresses & Suits – As custom with fashion, the public and media wanted to know who or what the bride, groom, and their respective parties wore. Kim and Co. adorned custom Vera Wang gowns, while Kris and his groomsmen opted for Ermenegildo Zegna tuxedos.
*        Food - The Kardashians tapped Wolfgang Puck for dinner and local LA bakery Hansen Cakes for the wedding cake.
*       Honeymoon - Hotels and resorts could pay a couple to stay there or give it to them for free – either way, publicity is a consideration.
*       Party Favors - Product seeding to get your product in the hands of influencers for media attention. Guest Kathie Lee Gifford, for example, gushed about her swag bag from the wedding, which included customized heart shaped Krispy Kreme donuts and cookies, a gift certificate to ShoeDazzle.com, a bag of OPI nail polish, and Kim's new fragrance "Kim Kardashian."
*       Photo Rights: For the Kardashians, the premeditation of photo rights and sales was a goldmine.

*       Engagement & Wedding photos - People paid $300,000 for exclusive rights to announce the engagement and another $1.5 million to publish the wedding photos. To re-coup the money, People smartly charged $1 more per issue. The additional 350,000 issues provided an immediate cushion on their investment.
*       Bridal Shower photos - Britain's OK! Magazine paid $100,000 for the rights.
*       Honeymoon photos - Hello! Magazine purchased the rights to these as well as the International photo rights.
*       Rings - Opportunity for barter since media will be constantly asking "who designed it" and "where it's from." Kris opted to design Kim's ring with jeweler Lorraine Schwartz.
Video Rights - E! was the only network allowed to have cameras inside, while many news outlets covered from outside the event in Montecito, CA. E! extensively covered the ceremony, reception and thus provided massive exposure for any designer of who donated their goods and services. The couple will receive between $12- $15 million dollars from video rights and advertising revenue for the 2-day  E! special which airs this Saturday and Sunday.

The couple will receive between $12- $15 million dollars from video rights and advertising revenue for the 2-day  E! Special  which airs this Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to everything else, this week is all about the cross-promotion. A member of the Kardashian family (so far, Khloe, Bruce and Kris) has co-hosted NBC's Today (note: E! is owned by NBC Universal) and Kim and Kris appeared on The Tonight Show on Tuesday night and Ellen on Wednesday.

Kim's Fairytale Wedding: The Kardashian Event airs this Saturday at 8pm EST and continues on Sunday at 9pmEST on E!.

 

October 7, 2011 | Comments: 0

Spotlight On…. 2011 Do Something Awards

Cause marketing is always a strong player in the celebrity + brand partnership space, with many celebrities using branded campaigns to further a cause that is close to their heart – such as Reese Witherspoon’s work with Avon to raise awareness and funds for their joint mission in empowering women, or the cast of Pretty Little Liars recently joining Staples for their Students School Supply Drive, a campaign mobilizing young people to collect school supplies for the 13 million kids who return to school without basic supplies.

 

Last year, the inaugural Do Something Awards began honoring celebrities for charitable contributions like these throughout the year.  Next month VH1 will roll out the blue carpet for the second annual 2011 Do Something Awards, showcasing stars, philanthropists and influential teens in Hollywood, with the hilarious Jane Lynch returning as host (Lynch is also set to host this year’s Emmy Awards.)

Here are a few nominations that stood out:

  • Kathy Griffin is nominated again this year, after taking home the Golden Shoe for her charitable work in 2010, for her Eat Pray Laugh Tea Event to help Women Helping Women Maui.  The organization helps women of domestic violence find safe shelter.  Also among the Comedian Nominees is late night favorite Chelsea Handler for her involvement with the charitable organization Soles4Souls.
  • Lady Gaga is nominated twice in the Music Artists and the Charity Song category for her hit single “Born This Way.”  Gaga is a well-known supporter of LGBT rights and part of the proceeds from her hit went directly to support the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Furthering the message from her hit song, Lady Gaga can be seen in commercials for Google Chrome.

  • In the TV show category, Glee could have a repeat win for their efforts to deal with critical issues facing many teens including bullying, underage drinking, and self-acceptance. The cast of Glee partnered with American Express for a social action campaign to inspire viewers to ‘do good’ and make a difference in their communities.
  • Kim Kardashian is a nominee for her use of Twitter as a means of auctioning off a day spent with Kim in order to raise money for Japan relief efforts. A great example of a celebrity using a self made platform for good.

Other nominated stars include Prince William and Kate, Orlando Bloom, Olivia Wilde, Eva Longoria, and Demi Lovato.

You can see a full list of the celebrity nominees here. In addition to Lynch, other musical acts and presenters will be announced closer to the show. Be sure to catch the Do Something Awards on Thursday August 18th on VH1.

July 12, 2011 | Comments: 0

Super Bowl Special – February 2011

And, the Winners Are...

For those in the industry, competition between brands (and their commercials) often overshadows competition on the field - and the morning after, everyone wants to know who won. USA Today's annual Ad Meter , which measures ad success with second-by-second responses from a panel of viewers, had its first-ever tie. Both Doritos and Bud Light won the hearts of viewers with ads featuring dogs. No ad in the top 10 of the Ad Meter selections featured a celebrity (unless you count VW's Little Darth Vader ad featuring talented 6 -year-old Max Page who was a guest on The Today Show this morning).

Anticipating that viewers would turn to Twitter to share real-time reactions to commercials, Brand Bowl set out again to score and rank ads based on total number of tweets - containing hash tag #BrandBowl - and their positive or negative sentiments. (Ads are still being measured in real time).  Here are a few of the most buzzed about brands of right now - for better or worse:

  • VW: score of 140 with 3,943 total tweets, overwhelming positive (+19.4)
  • Chrysler: score of 127 with 3648 total tweets, mostly positive (+17.1)
  • Groupon: score of 81 with 2775 total tweets, mostly negative (-4.5)
  • Motorola: score of 59 with 1759 total tweets, mostly positive (+3.5)

First Call's Michael Jacobson (@MJ4030) joined fellow marketing and brand experts for a live roundtable discussion via Twitter, hosted by Sports Business Daily.  A summary of their conversation can be found in today's issue of The Daily (or you can follow the hash tag #SBDSB) - but in the end Chrysler and Volkswagen emerged as the clear winners.

Musicians Reigned the Night

Audi featured saxophonist Kenny G as a riot suppressor in their escape from "Old Luxury" prison spot. Audi says Kenny G was chosen for his "unmistakable music, whose songs and stylings brings the audience back to a certain era." The Black Eyed Peas appeared as cartoon versions of themselves in the commercial for Chatter.com, an online firm that allows colleagues to share files anywhere in the world with fellow employees. The spot aired just before the real Black Eyes Peas performed during the Half-Time Show. Eminem appeared in two commercials this year. In a spot for Lipton Brisk, he appears in claymation talking about being "asked to do commercials all the time." Set to the rapper's "Lose Yourself," his spot for Chrysler served as both a tribute to Detroit's past and a look to the future in introducing the Chrysler 200. Two-time U.S. Champion figure-skater Alissa Czisny, a member of the Detroit Skating Club, was also featured in the spot.

Country musician Faith Hill starred in a spot for Teleflora titled "Help Me Faith." The commercial takes place in a recording studio, with Hill offering advice to a young sound engineer who is sending a Teleflora bouquet to his girlfriend for Valentine's Day. Diddy loses his silver Mercedes-Benz in a spot for the car company and its new futuristic Mercedes-Benz Biome, which isn't expected to hit the road until 2015. Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne joined forces with teen-star Justin Bieber as they demonstrated the progression of technology from 3G mobile phones to 4G and even 6G for Best Buy. The cast of Glee starred in a new commercial for Chevrolet that aired during the post-Super Bowl episode of the series. The ad, which features Sue Sylvester telling the Glee club that she has booked them for a commercial, was teased during the actual game.

Sex Sells

Go Daddy once again went for risqué with two spots featuring their spokeswoman racecar driver Danica Patrick. Patrick was joined by television personality Joan Rivers, and fitness trainer and The Biggest Loser star Jillian Michaels as the new Go Daddy girls. Reality star Kim Kardashian flirted her way through Skeckers Super Bowl spot touting the message that you can break up with your personal trainer if you wear Skechers Shape-Ups. In their Super Bowl advertising debut, Stella Artois looked to Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody. Brody appears to be serenading a group of women with a smooth, classy song. Only instead it turns out that he is actually singing to a glass of Stella Artois.

Unmistakable Voices and Faces

Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges continued his voiceover work for Hyundai, who featured three in-game commercials in its fourth consecutive year of Super Bowl advertising. Also doing voiceover work for Super Bowl ads were Tim Allen for Chevrolet and Jon Hamm for Mercedes-Benz. Trying to recreate the magic of Betty White's commercial last year, comedic legends Roseanne Barr and Richard Lewis appeared in Snickers' ad titled "Logging." The campaign will also include a series of print and digital ads that will feature the two stars. In the most controversial spot of the night, actor Timothy Hutton deplored the troubles of Tibetan culture while touting Groupon. Groupon's three Super Bowl ads were set to the same premise: saving something endangered, and a few bucks. The NFL aired a 60-second spot, titled "American Family," which featured over 40 actors who appeared on TV's most popular shows over the years, including The Brady Bunch, Cheers, Family Matters, Friends, Full House, Happy Days, Modern Family, Seinfeld, The Simpsons, South Park, and The Office, among others.

February 7, 2011 | Comments: 0

This Week on Talk Shows Jan 31- Feb 4

Monday, January 31

Today: Justin Bieber, Elizabeth Gilbert, Chef Luke Mangan

Bieber's new movie releases Feb. 11

Bieber's Never Say Never will release in theaters on Feb. 11

GMA: Jed Rubenfeld

Early Show: Billy Gardell

David Letterman: Justin Bieber, Pauley Perrette, Best Coast
Jay Leno: Adam Sandler, Larry the Cable Guy, Esperanza Spalding
Jimmy Kimmel: Julianna Margulies, Matthew Bomer, the JaneDear Girls
Craig Ferguson: Rachael Ray
Jimmy Fallon: Bill Paxton, Adam Scott, Edie Brickell
Carson Daly: Lemmy Kilmister, Ryan Case, Delta Spirit
Tavis Smiley: Ed O'Neill, Meghan Linsey, Joshua Scott Jones
Daily Show: Bill Gates
Colbert Report: Samer Shehata, Dr. Paul Offit
Chelsea Lately: Kevin Smith, Brad Wollack, Dov Davidoff, Natasha Leggero
Conan O'Brien: Amy Poehler, Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim, Randy Rogers Band
Lopez Tonight: Jamie Foxx, Jake Johnson
The View: Billy Gardell, Camille Grammer
The Talk: Taraji P. Henson, Stefanie Powers
Regis and Kelly: Barbara Walters, Johnny Galecki, Leo Laporte, guest co-host Joy Philbin
Ellen DeGeneres: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Marisa Miller, the Band Perry

 Tuesday, February 1

Matthew Perry's Mr. Sunshine debuts on Feb. 9 on ABC

Today: Candace Cameron Bure, Ricky Martin

GMA: Matthew Perry, Brooke Shields, Mitt Romney

David Letterman: Matthew Perry, Chris Elliott, a Top Ten List presented by Mitt Romney, the National
Jay Leno: Helena Bonham Carter, Timothy Olyphant, One eskimO
Jimmy Kimmel: Jamie Foxx, Sarah Shahi
Craig Ferguson: Dr. Cornel West, George Clinton
Jimmy Fallon: Ice Cube, Leighton Meester, Todd Rundgren
Carson Daly: Holt McCallany, Plan B, Interpol
Tavis Smiley: Amos Lee, Rod Woodson
Daily Show: Michael Steele
Colbert Report: Leslie Dach, Michael Lewis
Chelsea Lately: Kevin Nealon, Jo Koy, Michael Yo, John Caparulo
Conan O'Brien: Jennifer Aniston, Nick Offerman, Peter, Bjorn & John
Lopez Tonight: DeSean Jackson, the Thermals
The View: Mitt Romney, Ann Romney, Dr. Steven Lamm, Dr. Doris Day, Dr. Donnica Moore
The Talk: Suzanne Somers
Regis and Kelly: Lisa Kudrow, Minka Kelly
Ellen DeGeneres: Julianna Margulies, Kevin Nealon

Wednesday, February 2

Today: Mark Bittman

GMA: Jessica Wu

David Letterman: Kate Walsh, Jim Gaffigan, Boxer Rebellion
Jay Leno: Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Bingham
Jimmy Kimmel: David Arquette, Jonathan Winters, Tinie Tempah
Craig Ferguson: Jim Parsons, Kurt Metzger
Jimmy Fallon: Samuel L. Jackson, Larry the Cable Guy, Phantogram
Carson Daly: Rich Eisen, Meltdown Comedy, Screaming Females
Tavis Smiley: Atul Gawande, Blythe Danner
Daily Show: Matthew Perry
Colbert Report: Sean Kelly
Chelsea Lately: Rachel Bilson, Bill Bellamy, Chris Franjola, Whitney Cummings
Conan O'Brien: Kobe Bryant, Camilla Belle, Jamie Kilstein
Lopez Tonight: Mindy Kaling, Derek Fisher, Jasper Redd, Arturo Sandoval
The View: Ricky Martin
The Talk: Jean Smart
Regis and Kelly: Julianne Hough, Larry the Cable Guy
Ellen DeGeneres: Taylor Armstrong, Camille Grammer, Adrienne Maloof, Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Darren Criss, world's fastest violinist Oliver Lewis

Thursday, February 3

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler star in "Just Go With It" out in theaters on Feb. 11

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler star in Just Go With It, out on Feb. 11

Today: Sunny Anderson

GMA: Andrea Buchanan

Early Show: Johnny Galecki

David Letterman: Howard Stern, Naughty By Nature
Jay Leno: Jeff Bridges, Dianna Agron, Bobby Long
Jimmy Kimmel: Kim Kardashian, Balthazar Getty
Craig Ferguson: Matt LeBlanc, David Pogue
Jimmy Fallon: Dana Carvey, Minka Kelly, Ricky Martin
Carson Daly: Nate Corddry, Troupe Vertigo, Off!
Tavis Smiley: Gary Shapiro, David Pogue
Daily Show: Adm. Michael Mullen
Colbert Report: Jane McGonigal
Chelsea Lately: Jennifer Beals, Josh Wolf, Lavell Crawford, Heather McDonald
Conan O'Brien: Lisa Kudrow, Mike O'Malley, Interpol
Lopez Tonight: Billy Gardell, Rachel Bilson, OK Go
The View: Kate Walsh
The Talk: Jim Belushi, Marlee Matlin
Regis and Kelly: Justin Bieber
Ellen DeGeneres: Jennifer Aniston

Friday, February 4

Today: Keith Ablow

GMA: Chef Christina Ferrare

Early Show: Minka Kelly

David Letterman: Martha Stewart, a Top Ten List presented by Justin Bieber, Robert Plant

Jay Leno: Hugh Laurie, Hailee Steinfeld, Finesse Mitchell
Craig Ferguson: Matt Lucas
Jimmy Fallon: Kate Walsh, Rob Brydon
Carson Daly: T.J. Miller, J. Ralph, A Perfect Circle (R 12/14/10)
Tavis Smiley: Vusi Mahlasela, Melissa Leo
Chelsea Lately: Taraji P. Henson, Bobby Lee, Ross Mathews, Ben Gleib (R 1/27/11)
The View: Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Hasselbeck, Dr. Jerry Gliklich
The Talk: Jennifer Beals, Kathryn Joosten
Regis and Kelly: Bill Paxton, Justin Bieber
Ellen DeGeneres: Channing Tatum, Bethenny Frankel

January 31, 2011 | Comments: 0

January Talent Email Continued

Be My Valentine
Country superstar Faith Hill has signed on to star in Teleflora's upcoming Super Bowl commercial. The singer has created her own flower collection on the website and will debut a new iPhone application that ties into her Super Bowl spot. Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto partnered with L'Oreal India, replacing previous spokesperson and former Miss World, Aishwarya Rai. Pinto will be featured in video, print and TV ads as a part of L'Oreal's "New Year" campaign. Pretty Little Liars rising star Shay Mitchell is the new face of Pantene Nature Fusion. Mitchell joins Pantene's growing celebrity spokesperson roster including celebrity stylist Stacy London, and will be featured in print and TV ads. Bryce Dallas Howard has signed on to be Kate Spade handbags' first celebrity spokesperson. The actress (and daughter of Ron Howard) will be featured in the spring and fall 2011 print campaigns focused in New York. Gwyneth Paltrow teamed up with Baume & Mercier watchmaker as the newest brand ambassador. Paltrow will be involved with branded on-site projects including an appearance at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie- the annual showcase for luxury timepieces that took place earlier this month. Amanda Seyfried has been enlisted to star in luxury beauty brand Cle de Peau Beaute's ad campaign. The actress will make her first appearance as the brand's spokesperson in the spring 2011 print campaign. Following the footsteps of Michelle Branch, Mila Kunis, Serena Williams and Vanessa Minnillo, Glee's Heather Morris has signed on as the newest global ambassador for FLIRT! Cosmetics. Morris will be featured on FLIRT!'s website and social networks as well as supporting in-store and promotional efforts (including a consumer contest) for the spring 2011 collection. MAC has extended their partnership with Lady Gaga for their Viva Glam line. Last year, Gaga and Cyndi Lauper joined MAC for the brand's cause-related lipstick campaign which featured print ads built around increasing the awareness of HIV and AIDS. Kim Cattrall and Olay have teamed up for the Total Effects 7-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash and Lotion lines. Cattrall is featured in print and video ads and joins the brand's first ever celebrity ambassador, Carrie Underwood, who partnered with Olay in 2010.

 Gwen Stefani has been announced as the newest face for L'Oreal Paris, debuting her signature Le Rouge lip color via TV spot during the Golden Globes. Stefani joins the brand's other celebrity ambassadors including Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria and Beyonce Knowles. L'Oreal Paris Men also recently snagged a new brand partner in Gerard Butler. The Scottish actor stars in the new TV campaign for the beauty brand, which has previously partnered with Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey. Tennis star Rafael Nadal has replaced soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo as the face of Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans. Ads for the highly anticipated spring/summer campaign featuring Nadal will be released in February. Actress Katie Holmes is the face of Ann Taylor's spring 2011 ad campaign that debuts in March. Ann Taylor's previous celebrity friends include Naomi Watts (who appeared in the company's fall ads) and Heidi Klum (who starred in the past two holiday campaigns). 90210 star Annalynne McCord is the new face of Marc Ecko's handbag line. The print campaign, featuring the actress just wearing the purses, will launch in magazines and online in March.

Dealing in the Reality World
Kim Kardashian joins a long list of celebs including Brooke Burke, Joe Montana and Denise Austin as an official Skechers Shape-Ups spokesperson. The reality queen has been tweeting sneak peeks at her TV ad, which will debut during the Super Bowl. Kardashian has also recently partnered with at home laser hair removal company TRIA Beauty, doing a media tour on their behalf. New York Housewife, Kelly Killoren Bensimon has partnered with FRS energy drink appearing at a New York promotion with her daughter. Bensimon joins fellow FRS endorsers including Tim Tebow, Derek Fisher, Brook Hanson, Peter Park and Rafa Matos. Fellow New York Housewife, Bethenny Frankel has partnered with Dell for a social media campaign. Frankel promoted Dell's twitter sweepstakes throughout the month of December. The Hills personality, Kristin Cavallari joined Juicy Couture to host a Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture fragrance launch in Beverly Hills. Cavallari has become a regular in the hosting realm as she's appeared at events for LAVO, Victoria's Secret and Luca Luca. Nicole Fox, winner of Cycle 13 of America's Next Top Model, has been chosen as the face of Nicole Richie's Winter Kate clothing line. Fox will be featured as the online face of the 2011 spring line. One of the newest and busiest reality stars, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi has partnered with Diamond Shark to release a limited edition pendant. Snooki adds Diamond Shark to her portfolio of previous brand partnerships with Westfield's, Virgin Mobile, Just Dance 2 and Pistachio's.  

We're Losing It
After eleven years of using the program, Melrose Place and According to Jim actress Courtney Thorne-Smith joins Atkins as an official celebrity ambassador. Thorne-Smith is featured in print and TV ads and on Atkins' blog and newsletters, where she gives online tips and recipes for living a low-carb lifestyle. Jenny Craig has enlisted Star Wars icon and best-selling author, Carrie Fisher, to be the newest face for the brand. Fisher's advertising campaign will air in February 2011. Former American Idol Jennifer Hudson is joined by fashion guru Tim Gunn for a new Weight Watchers PointsPlus campaign. Hudson, who signed on as a brand ambassador last year, continues to be featured in a national print and TV campaign as well as in-store advertising and online content. Gunn is enlisted to style both Hudson for the advertising campaign along with real people who have lost weight on Weight Watchers' PointsPlus program. Gunn is featured in online videos working with Hudson as well as with real woman while offering fashion advice on the Weight Watchers website. Taking a healthy approach to eating, David Hasselhoff has partnered with Splice Real Fruit ice block for a Baywatch-themed photo campaign and hosting duties for the brand in Los Angeles.

January 19, 2011 | Comments: 0

This Week in Talk Shows Jan 3-7

Monday, January 3
Today Show: Joannie Rochette performs
David Letterman:
Brian Williams, Paula Abdul
Jay Leno: Ron Howard, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Sick Puppies
Jimmy Kimmel: Patricia Heaton, Brad Womack, Josh Groban
Craig Ferguson: Lisa Kudrow, Matt Braunger
Jimmy Fallon: Gwyneth Paltrow, Wyatt Cenac, Jeff Musial, Best Coast
Carson Daly: Johnny Knoxville, Nathan Barr, Off! (R 10/15/10)
Tavis Smiley: Robert Duvall (R 11/19/10)
Daily Show: TBA
Colbert Report:
Gov. Ed Rendell
Chelsea Lately: Josh Wolf, Margaret Cho, Ross Mathews
Conan O'Brien: Christina Aguilera, Zachary Levi
Lopez Tonight: Janet Jackson, Antoine Dodson, Rooney
The View: Nicole Kidman, Nora Ephron (R 12/2/10)
The Talk:
Jane Fonda
Regis and Kelly: Michelle Williams, Brad Womack
Ellen DeGeneres: Ray Romano, Carmen Electra

Tuesday, January 4
Today Show: Chef Charlie Palmer; Dave Zinczenko
David Letterman:
Tim McGraw, Shaquille O'Neal, Keri Hilson
Jay Leno: Queen Latifah, Gustavo Dudamel, Jazmine Sullivan
Jimmy Kimmel: Matt LeBlanc, Julie Benz, Michael Carbonaro
Craig Ferguson:
Julie Bowen, Carson Kressley
Jimmy Fallon: Kevin Spacey, DJ Pauly D, Local Natives
Carson Daly: Jim Breuer, Black Dub, She & Him (R 10/26/10)
Tavis Smiley:
Natalie Cole (R 11/30/10)
Colbert Report:
Geoffrey Canada
Chelsea Lately: Jo Koy, Natasha Leggero, John Caparulo
Conan O'Brien: Eva Mendes, Bob Saget, Neon Trees
Lopez Tonight: Craig Ferguson, Sheryl Crow
The View: Lisa Ling, Denis Leary (R 12/10/10)
The Talk:
Nicole Richie
Regis and Kelly: Gwyneth Paltrow, Paula Abdul
Ellen DeGeneres: Jimmy Kimmel, Gareth Thomas, Anjelo "Lil' Demon" Baligad

Wednesday, January 5
Today Show: Mark Bittman
David Letterman:
Jennifer Connelly, Dr. Mehmet Oz
Jay Leno: Jamie Foxx, Leighton Meester
Jimmy Kimmel: Simon Baker, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Lloyd Banks
Craig Ferguson: Henry Winkler, Paula Deen
Jimmy Fallon: Tim McGraw, Emmy Rossum, the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger
Carson Daly: Frank Darabont, Matt Sax, Ra Ra Riot (R 10/29/10)
Tavis Smiley:
Dennis Miller (R 11/16/10)
Colbert Report:
Atul Gawande
Chelsea Lately: Kevin Spacey, Chris Franjola, Whitney Cummings, Michael Yo
Conan O'Brien: Kourtney, Kim & Khloe Kardashian, Kevin Nealon, Deerhunter
Lopez Tonight: Denzel Washington, Hilary Duff, Russell Peters
The View: Liam Neeson, Bryant Renfroe (R 12/17/10)
The Talk: Gayle King,
Carson Kressley
Regis and Kelly: Kevin Spacey
Ellen DeGeneres: Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Macy Gray, Savannah Keyes

Thursday, January 6
Today Show: "Today's Health"; winter-travel deals; "Today's Kitchen"
David Letterman:
Seth Rogen, the Walkmen
Jay Leno: Hilary Swank, Jesse Eisenberg, Los Lobos
Jimmy Kimmel: Leighton Meester, Jazmine Sullivan
Craig Ferguson: Gary Sinise, Alex Kingston
Jimmy Fallon:
Iron & Wine
Carson Daly: Bobby Flay, "Heavy Metal Parking Lot", Matt & Kim (R 12/7/10)
Tavis Smiley:
Andre Agassi (R 9/8/10)
Colbert Report:
Dr. Ronald DePinho
Chelsea Lately: Tim McGraw, Ben Gleib, Heather McDonald, Dan Levy
Conan O'Brien:
Gwyneth Paltrow, T.J. Miller, Jimmy Eat World
Lopez Tonight: Jamie Foxx, Jayma Mays, Freddy Sanchez, Orianthi
The View: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld (R 12/24/10)
The Talk:
Debbie Reynolds, Laurie David
Regis and Kelly:
Roseanne Barr, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Paul "DJ Pauly D" Delvecchio, Vinny Guadagnino
Ellen DeGeneres: Tom Selleck, Bruno Mars

Friday, January 7
Today Show: Seth Rogen 
David Letterman:
Regis Philbin, Hannibal Buress, No Age
Jay Leno:
Jim Parsons, Hailee Steinfeld, Lukas Nelson
Craig Ferguson:
Mila Kunis, Geechy Guy
Jimmy Fallon:
Michelle Williams, Patton Oswalt, Daniel Holzman & Michael Chernow
Carson Daly: Andrew Jarecki, Donald Glover, Florence and the Machine (R 12/8/10)
Tavis Smiley:
Hilary Swank (R 12/2/10)
Chelsea Lately: Keyshia Cole,
Jo Koy, Jim Norton, Sarah Colonna (R 12/29/10)
The View:
Michael J. Fox, Tina Fey (R 9/23/10)
The Talk:
Jane Seymour, Katie Flynn
Regis and Kelly:
Matt LeBlanc, Garrett Hedlund, guest co-host Neil Patrick Harris
Ellen DeGeneres: Ryan Gosling, Camille Grammer

January 3, 2011 | Comments: 0

Celebs "Die" For Charity

UPDATED: MONDAY, DECEMBER 6 (ORIGINAL POST WAS 12/1)

This celebrity-cause marketing program failed (or certainly wasn't efficient). The program's biggest assets are their celebrities, but they are all dead (hence, no one is pushing traffic). Next time generate money by having people "follow" or "befriend" the talent. This will encourage the celebrities to be active online.

ORIGINAL POST (12/1/10):

Starting this morning, celebrities are staging a temporary social network death until they raise $1 million for World AIDS Day as part of the "Digital Life Sacrifice Campaign." Alicia Keys is launching the campaign for her charity, Keep a Child Alive in hopes of shedding light on the poverty problem in America. She and Keep a Child Alive co-founder Leigh Blake want to demonstrate the effect one celebrity "death" can have, in comparison with the lack of impact millions of American deaths make on society each year. She has pulled out all of the stops for the day's moratorium, calling in an impressive array of celebrity cohorts. Joining her will be Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Ryan Seacrest, Jennifer Hudson, Elijah Wood, Serena Williams, Janelle Monae and Keys' husband Swizz Beatz among others. A few celebs will film and post videos of their "last tweet and testament" and Kim Kardashian appears in a print ad promoting the campaign.

Kim Kardashian's print ad for the "Keep a Child Alive" campaign
Kim Kardashian's print ad for the "Keep a Child Alive" campaign

Here's a roundup of the involved celebs' social media pages (and their followers who will surely mourn until they are back online):

December 6, 2010 | Comments: 0

Octagon First Call's Extended #FF

Taking a note from Twitter's "Follow Friday," here is our roundup up some of our favorite blogs and relevant industry news pieces from this week.

December 3, 2010 | Comments: 0

MTV's The Buried Life: Bucket Lists and Brand Partnerships

Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood, Duncan Penn and Jonnie Penn, can check off one more item on their "bucket list"... brand ambassadors/endorsers.

The four friends, otherwise known as the stars/creators of MTV's hit show The Buried Life, travel across the country completing their list of the "100 Things To Do Before They Die" (including playing basketball with President Obama and asking Taylor Swift out on a date). For every item that they complete on their list, they help a stranger check something off of theirs. Charitable acts have included donating a computer to a school, reconnecting father and son, jumpstarting the career of a hip hop artist, hosting a Toys-R-Us shopping spree for children, locating a mother's grave site and more.

The guys of The Buried Life with President Obama.

The guys of The Buried Life with President Obama.

The four twenty-somethings have inspired young viewers everywhere and have amassed a loyal fan base, including over a million fans on Facebook and 97,000+ followers on Twitter. With their blend of good-natured fun and altruistic spirit, they make for interesting (and organic) brand ambassadors appealing to the upcoming generation of socially aware teens. The crew has already tapped into brand integration and product associations (i.e. Ben using the HTC Evo 4G and Kit Kat commercials that ask "What good would you do with your break?") and will likely become even more active in this space (with the appropriate opportunities).   

Their collective persona is in line with two recent celeb endorsement trends, making them even more marketable...

  1. Cause-related programs (i.e. Pepsi Refresh with Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and others; American Express' Members Project with the cast of Glee
  2. Original content/social media engagement (i.e. Flip Cam campaign ft. Brooke Burke, OK Go , Drew Brees and more; Kim Kardashian tweeting to her 5.4 million followers about her various deals or going silent for "Keep a Child Alive")

Keep an eye out for the guys of The Buried Life to appear on behalf of one of your high school/college aged kids favorite brands.  And, if you missed it last night, check out the one hour Season 2 finale of The Buried Life on MTV.com.

November 30, 2010 | Comments: 0

This Week in Talk Shows Nov 29- Dec 3

Monday, November 29
GMA: Natalie Portman, New York Times reporter David Rohde
Today Show:
Kardashian sisters, Aaron Sanchez, Rachel Uchitel and Dr. Drew, Katie Brown, Michael Buble
David Letterman
: Steve Martin, Emily Deschanel (R 11/5/10)
Jay Leno: Bill Cosby, Atticus Shaffer
Jimmy Kimmel: Ben Affleck, David Sedaris, Nicki Minaj
Craig Ferguson: Michael Sheen, Michael Franti
Jimmy Fallon: Lewis Black, Elvis Costello (R 11/5/10)
Carson Daly: Morgan Spurlock, Buff Monster, Kate Nash (R 10/8/10)
Tavis Smiley: Ron Isley
Daily Show: Judah Friedlander
Colbert Report: Dan Savage
Chelsea Lately: John Stamos, Heather McDonald, Josh Wolf, Ross Mathews
Conan O'Brien: George Lopez, Chris Colfer, Kid Cudi
Lopez Tonight: Zachary Levi, Perez Hilton, 3OH!3
The View: Kim, Kourtney & Khloe Kardashian, Susan Boyle
The Talk: Natalie Cole, Laura Innes
Regis and Kelly: Jabbawockeez, Joel McHale, David Copperfield, Nicki Minaj
Ellen DeGeneres: Alyson Hannigan, Rascal Flatts, 5-year-old hip-hop artist Miles Brown

Tuesday, November 30
GMA: Author Patricia Cornwell, Vincent Cassel, D.L. Hughley
Early Show:
Models from the "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show", Tiger Wood's alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel
Today Show:
Bob Saget
David Letterman
: Rescued Chilean miner Edison Peya, Tracy Morgan (R 11/4/10)
Jay Leno: Chelsea Handler, Kellan Lutz, Rod Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel: Magic Johnson, Autumn Reeser, Miguel
Craig Ferguson: D.J. Qualls, Salman Rushdie
Jimmy Fallon: Zach Galifianakis, Danny Boyle, Kid Cudi (R 11/3/10)
Carson Daly: Serj Tankian, Ben Weasel, Broken Bells (R 10/12/10)
Tavis Smiley: Natalie Cole, Darren Aronofsky
Daily Show: TBA
Colbert Report: Tom Vilsack
Chelsea Lately: Flo Rida, Jo Koy, Mo Mandel, Sarah Colonna
Conan O'Brien: Charles Barkley, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Bo Burnham
Lopez Tonight: Bill Cosby, Angela Kinsey, Atomic Tom
The View: Bob Saget
The Talk: Denise Richards
Regis and Kelly: Jimmy Kimmel, cast members from "Jersey Boys", Cheryl Burke & Derek Hough
Ellen DeGeneres: Eva Mendes, Mindy Kaling, Flo Rida

Wednesday, December 1
GMA: Andrea Bocelli, author Anne Rice
Today Show:
Kate Gosselin, Martha Stewart
David Letterman
: Jim Carrey, Nicki Minaj (R 11/18/10)
Jay Leno: Mitt Romney, Darius Rucker
Jimmy Kimmel: Kate Bosworth, Larry King, Greg Fitzsimmons
Craig Ferguson: Regis Philbin, Greg Proops, Nellie McKay
Jimmy Fallon: Bruce Springsteen (R 11/16/10)
Carson Daly: Frank Darabont, Matt Sax, Ra Ra Riot (R 10/29/10)
Tavis Smiley: Gary Hart
Daily Show: Sting
Colbert Report: Michelle Rhee
Chelsea Lately: Cee-Lo Green, Chris Franjola, Chris Hardwick, Natasha Leggero
Conan O'Brien: Joel McHale, Tim Gunn, Cake
Lopez Tonight: Charles Barkley, Brandy, Cee-Lo Green
The View: David Hasselhoff, Sheryl Crow
The Talk: Jada Pinkett Smith, Molly Ringwald
Regis and Kelly: Selena Gomez, Terry Fator, the cast of "Sinatra: Dance With Me"
Ellen DeGeneres: Ben Affleck, Bethenny Frankel, Cee-Lo Green

Thursday, December 2
GMA: Nicole Kidman, author Salman Rushdie
Early Show:
KT Tunstall
David Letterman
: Michael J. Fox, Shaun White, a Top Ten List presented by Amar'e Stoudemire (R 10/29/10)
Jay Leno: Jane Fonda, Ian Somerhalder
Jimmy Kimmel: Terry Bradshaw, Alyson Hannigan, Darius Rucker
Craig Ferguson: Cedric the Entertainer, Norah Jones
Jimmy Fallon: Tracy Morgan, Dick Cavett, Kings of Leon (R 11/12/10)
Carson Daly: Judah Friedlander, Harald Belker, School of Seven Bells (R 11/1/10)
Tavis Smiley: Hilary Swank
Colbert Report: David Stockman
Chelsea Lately: Kate Bosworth, Matt Braunger, John Caparulo, Diablo Cody
Conan O'Brien: Kim, Kourtney & Khloe Kardashian, Kevin Nealon, Deerhunter
Lopez Tonight: Mario Lopez
The View: Nicole Kidman, Nora Ephron
The Talk: Kim, Kourtney & Khloe Kardashian
Regis and Kelly: Howie Mandel, Rod Stewart
Ellen DeGeneres: Ewan McGregor, Mandy Moore

Friday, December 3
GMA: Wilson Phillips, chef Jamie Oliver, Animal Planet's Maggie Gallant
Early Show: Chef Katie Lee
Today Show:
Lidia and Joe Bastianich
David Letterman
: Cher, Bruno Mars (R 11/11/10)
Jay Leno: Louis C.K., Aron Ralston
Craig Ferguson: Ewan McGregor, Shannon Woodward
Jimmy Fallon: Dana Carvey, Jason Hawes & Grant Wilson, GWAR (R 10/28/10)
Carson Daly: Craig Robinson, First Ascent, Built to Spill (R 11/3/10)
Tavis Smiley: Quincy Jones
Chelsea Lately: Dane Cook, Ben Gleib, Jo Koy, Kevin Hart (R 11/23/10)
The View: Kirsten Dunst, Dr. Lindsey Duncan, Badgley Mischka
The Talk: Vanessa Williams, Tim Gunn
Regis and Kelly: Zac Efron, Wilmer Valderrama, 3OH!3 (R)
Ellen DeGeneres: Hilary Swank, Mila Kunis, Adele

November 29, 2010 | Comments: 0