Endorsements of brands so as to make them desirable to consumers is what it’s all about for advertisers. Having a famous face part of advertising campaigns can be really beneficial to both the advertisers hoping to push the brand to bigger audiences and to the consumers who might be interested in supporting the brand. For some famous faces, they become synonmymous with the brands that they associate with, benefitting not only themselves (greater exposure, consumers gravitating to them and being paid to support the brand etc.) but the brands too (consumers’ perceptions about the brand may be changed for the better, brand gains recognition, brand becomes more credible etc.). Here are some partnerships that got our attentions.
Gary Lineker & Walkers
Former footballer Gary Lineker has been the spearhead of Walkers crisps adverts for over 20 years. The man and the brand, both of Leicester have produced many a laugh over the years with Gary and his antics with cameos from a number of celebrities over the years. From paroding Austin Powers to impersonating David Beckham to incurring the wrath of Gordon Ramsay to being chased by Sir Steve Redgrave on his rowing machine to being welcomed home from a stint out of the UK to continually trying to nick any packets of Walkers he lays his eyes on, it would not be a surprise if Gary and Walkers crisps were one and the same being.
Dawn French & Terry’s Chocolate Orange
Much like Gary, Dawn French’s reluctance to share her Terry’s Chocolate Orange endeared her to consumers as she was the face of the then Kraft Foods produced chocolate for more than decade. Her love for the chocolate so strong, she believed it was her Chocolate Orange, not Terry’s as well as encouraging us not to tap it but whack the chocolate entertained viewing audiences during the 90s and 00s. Don’t be expecting her to share any of her chocolate with you and if she does her offer to share, expect her to surprisingly find no-one to share with.
Peter Kay & John Smith’s
Funnyman Peter Kay showed off his quirky of humour as the face of adverts by the beer makers. The ads which first appeared during the early 00s featured Peter as John Smith, a unique man due to his knack of taking no nonsense. So what he can’t somersault or twist like a diver, a forward running bomb will suffice, so what instead of doing keepy-uppies with the football, he volleyed it into someone’s back garden, that right there is the very essense of sunday league football, so what he admits to having a crush with a woman at his workplace right in front of his wife, after all she was the one who asked who his crush was in the first place. John Smith is an uncompromising man of the people.
Jean-Claude Van Damme & Coors Light
Another beer maker but you wouldn’t normally associate a beer maker with a martial artist. This quite strange but brilliant partnership centered on Van Damme (in his very tight Denim trousers) trying to recreate the ice, cold refreshment of a Coors Light. There’s a whimsical droll about listening to Van Damme talk about how hard his trousers froze, watching him make snow angels in the fluffy, white snow, watching him build his ice cavern, all in the aim of recreating that magical feeling. Just because you’re a famous face doesn’t mean you may end up doing something a bit weird to promote a brand.
Kerry Katona & Iceland
For a time, Kerry Katona was the face of Iceland. The frozen food supermarket featured ads starring the former singer displaying various Iceland products, bringing about the her famous catchphrase “that’s why mums go to Iceland” at the end of the ad campaigns. The ads which although at times were cringeworthy and cheesy in equal measures were repetitive in nature too and because of that, it did raise the profile of both the supermarket and Katona.
Kris Marshall and Esther Hall & BT
For over seven years, BT charmed viewers with the story of a couple who go from starting their relationship to him warming to the role of stepfather to eventually getting married. The family theme which BT decided to champion endeared the nation who watched the relationship of Adam and Jane, played by Kris Marshall and Esther Hall blossom over the years. Sometimes brands have to play to the heartstrings and to the emotions of viewers in order for their ad campaigns to be successful and for viewers to see a campaign with a plot that is easily relatable, it furthers establishes a identity for a brand.
Jamie Oliver & Sainsbury’s
Iceland are not the only the supermarket who used a famous face to promote themselves, Sainsbury’s had a partnership with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver for over ten years with the Naked Chef advertising not only their food but also giving out tips and recipes on meals to cook which greatly affected the sales of products from Sainsbury’s to their benefit. The campaigns which ran over the years also aimed at getting people to really appreciate the value of good, wholesome food. Sainbury’s adverts really did aim at creating a closer connection between shoppers and the food that there were consuming.
Terry Crews & Old Spice
Old Spice drafted in actor Terry Crews and boy were their ads an eyeful. Judging for these, the Americans must have a different approach to advertising as these Old Spice ads bordered on the ridiculous. They seem to have the qualities of Lynx adverts but without any subtlety or the action movie themed plots that many Lynx campaigns have and replaced it with plenty of bravado, forthrightness and throws all senses of normality out of the window as macho man Crews advertises Old Spice products while demostrating their freakishly awesome power. The shouty, in your face nature of the ads at first seems off-putting but the sheer ridiculousness of the ways Terry shows just how powerful the Old Spice products are hilarious.
George Clooney & Nespresso
Hollywood’s silver fox has been endorsing Nespresso in their seductive ads for some time now. A lot of his ads centre on his desire to enjoy the rich taste of Nespresso coffee while beating some obstacles along the way. From screaming fans rushing to catch a glimpse of him to being stitched up by the likes of Matt Damon and Jack Black. There’s plenty of innuendo and mixed messages too, Nespresso is simply just too irresistable, much like George, just too desirable, again just like George, just the sort of thing you can’t enjoy once which can be said if you are a fan of George’s movies, I sense a common trend here.
