Putting a face to the name

Putting a face to the name

It is certainly not the first time a familiar face has been used to front a marketing campaign, and it is unlikely to be the last. The formula is an old one, but a good one. Take one big name brand, and one famous figure, and put them together. A mutually beneficial association between two public powerhouses is born, and along with it, the potential for raising recognition and stimulating sales. Max Factor, Sky Sports and the European Tour are three names who have recently put their brand identity in the hands of a famous face.  

But, of course, it is not just any famous face. When it comes to selecting a celebrity to represent your brand, there needs to be a strong association between product and person.

Take Max Factor for example

They needed to showcase their skills. But they also wanted to highlight their belief that every woman could create a look for themselves, no matter what side of their personality they wanted to convey. Enter Gwyneth Paltrow. Naturally beautiful, with multiple public personas, whose career and red carpet appearances make her relationship with make-up both a demanding and creative one. This diversity within her image made her the perfect person to endorse the make-up giant, whose campaign is all about capturing the many faces of the modern woman.

However, it is not just Max Factor that selected with a celebrity who is synonymous with their brand. David Beckham is perhaps one of the most influential sportsmen in the world. He is instantly recognisable, highly respected, and an undeniable trendsetter. These attributes make him an extremely lucrative commodity, which is perhaps why Sky Sports have created a multi-platform campaign with him at the centre. Through TV, print, digital and social media, Sky Sports have attempted to convey how highly accessible and versatile their brand is, by indicating just how easily it can fit around a person’s life: even if that person is as busy as Beckham. Beckham is certainly the perfect promotional partner for a sports brand. But more than being a sportsman, he is, like Gwyneth Paltrow, a global icon. It is this status, and the importance people instil in it, that really provides the potential for big name brands to kick the competition to the curb.

Another sportsman who has been selected to front a marketing campaign is Rory McIlroy. However, this time the campaign is about one sport specifically, golf. Through a comedic online viral video for the European Tour, which runs the tagline ‘See Every Shot Imaginable,’. Rory can be seen pitting his golf skills up against those of a robot. The challenge is to hit golf balls into washing machines. The strength of the campaign is found, not in having the sportsman associated with the brand, but in having him involved in a humorous situation, in which insults are traded and the competition is compelling. The Tour uses the strength of his personality, as well as his golfing skills, to highlight how entertaining and unpredictable golf can be. It is a clever piece of advertising, not because it uses a celebrity, but because it makes better use of the skills that celebrity has to offer.

Of course, when it comes to partnerships between brands and celebrities, there is always potential for problems

Celebrities come carrying a considerable price tag for one thing. They also, however, bring with them a significant risk. A brand becomes tied to their behaviour, e.g. if a mistake is made, and the credibility of the company is called into question, the consequences can be catastrophic. But then, the reasons that create the risk, are also the reasons for the results.

A celebrity is able to incite interest and procure profits. Both parties are able to gain wider exposure, and heightened recognition. All in all it comes down to one simple fact. Whether there are risks involved or not, the truth is abundantly clear: the familiarity of a face, and the exclusivity of a name is capable of packing a powerful promotional punch.


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