NEW YORK — It’s a wonder anyone in Hollywood finds time to make movies anymore, so busy are they starring in advertisements for clothing, fragrance, jewelry and other consumer goods.
Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank were just a few of the A-listers to grace bus shelters and broadcast spots this year. If present trends hold, 2005 will see even more such endorsements.
But all celebrity-centric ad campaigns aren’t created equal. Although advertising executives polled by WWD voiced a range of opinions on which efforts stood out as the year’s best (or worst), all concurred on one point: For maximum impact, the star and the brand must be in alignment. Given the right pairing, each reinforces consumers’ perceptions of the other, said Peter Arnell, chairman of Arnell Group. “You pick people that will support your perspective on the brand, not change it,” he said.
When celebrity ads go awry, it’s often because advertisers concentrate on getting the biggest star instead of the best fit. “So many companies make a mistake,” said Trey Laird, president of Laird + Partners. “They start with the idea of using a celebrity, which I don’t think is a [good] idea.”
Without the right connection, a big-name actor is no better than an anonymous model, and maybe worse, said Kathy Delaney, executive creative director at Deutsch Inc. “You run the risk of having people remember the celebrity but not the brand,” she said.
In addition to Arnell, Laird and Delaney, those polled included Richard Kirschenbaum, co-chairman of Kirschenbaum Bond + Partners, and Sam Shahid, president of Shahid & Co. One stipulation: The advertising rivals aren’t quoted on campaigns in which they were involved.
Read on to see what leading creative directors had to say about this year’s celebrity spots.
BRAND: Damiani
STAR: Gwyneth Paltrow
CREATED: In-house
THEY SAID: This is the classic example of a celebrity appearing in a campaign for no obvious reason, with underwhelming execution to boot. “She represents elegance and sophistication, and those pictures were totally not up to her level,” Laird said. “It’s the type of thing you would expect to see in Japan.”
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BRAND: Gap
STAR: Sarah Jessica Parker
CREATED BY: Laird + Partners
THEY SAID: Like “Sex and the City,” Gap’s inescapable “How Do You Wear It?” campaign had both fans and detractors. “What’s great about Sarah Jessica is she’s very unexpected,” said Kirschenbaum, who called it the year’s best use of a celebrity. “You never know how you’re going to see her.”
Shahid said, “Yes, it was quite visible, but I don’t know what it did for them, or for her, for that matter. Did I really want to be Sarah Jessica Parker? No.”
Said Arnell, “She’s known for high couture. Where does the Gap fit into her lifestyle?”
BRAND: Chanel No.5
STAR: Nicole Kidman
CREATED BY: In-house
THEY SAID: Chanel’s selection of Nicole Kidman to be the face of its fall campaign for No.5 drew high marks. “She’s an excellent choice for Chanel,” Laird said. “She has a bit of mystery and she’s certainly very elegant. She’s current, but also timeless.”
Delaney said, “Chanel is one of the few brands that can actually support a celebrity the weight of Nicole Kidman.”
But the ads themselves, including a two-minute commercial directed by Baz Luhrmann, got middling reviews. “They didn’t make as much use of her as they could have,” Kirschenbaum said. “I’ve spoken to a number of people who didn’t even recognize it was Nicole.”
BRAND: Eternity Moment
STAR: Scarlett Johansson
CREATED BY: Kraftworks
THEY SAID: Casting an up-and-comer like Johansson can make your campaign seem very of-the-moment — or make it seem as if you’re trying to save money. “There’s a difference between a celebrity and an ingenue,” Kirschenbaum said. “I don’t know how many women know who she is.”
BRAND: Guess
STAR: Paris Hilton
CREATED: In-house
THEY SAID: To the extent that there was a consensus winner for most successful use of a celebrity, this was it. “You can say what you want to about her, but it fits,” Shahid said.
“I give them high marks,’’ added Kirschenbaum. “She’s exactly what Guess and Marciano are all about.”