Falling brands latch on to rising stars

by Barry Silverstein

Singing sensation Lady Gaga recently signed on to be “creative director” of a line of products with the Polaroid brand name. And actor Hugh Jackman, the badass from X-Men Origins and Swordfish, will be the new worldwide spokesman for Lipton Ice Tea.

I’m not making this up.

You remember Polaroid – the failed instant film brand that made a half-hearted attempt at going digital and ended up in bankruptcy. Now a holding company that thinks the equity in the Polaroid name is just too valuable to abandon is trying to resurrect the brand.

So what’s the best way to instantly bring back this brand from the grave? Connect it with one of the hottest sensations in pop music, of course. Lady Gaga is a 23-year old singer/songwriter/entertainer whose style ranges from sexy to completely ridiculous.

Polaroid introduced Lady Gaga at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 7—appropriately held in Las Vegas. “I’m definitely a Polaroid camera girl,” Lady Gaga said at the show. “For me, what I’m really excited about is bringing back the artistry and the nature of Polaroid.”

Yeah, and being paid gobs of money to put her name on products that might otherwise underwhelm consumers.

As for Lipton Ice Tea, what do they want with Hugh Jackman? Well actually, choosing Jackman as spokesperson is part of a repositioning ad strategy for the brand that began back in the 1980s. That’s when Lipton Ice Tea started depicting itself as a bold thirst-quencher being enjoyed by such macho stars as Tom Selleck, Sylvester Stallone, and Jimmy Connors.

This is the first commercial foray for Jackman, an Australian, outside of his home country. According to Britain’s Guardian newspaper, Jackman says “Lipton Ice Tea is a really positive brand and its values match those that are important in my life…” Really?

The Lady Gaga and Hugh Jackman endorsements are just the latest in a world where, increasingly, celebrity personalities and brand personalities are brought together to change the perception of one or the other. Mostly, it’s an advertiser trying to reach a target demographic through a celebrity endorser. Obviously Polaroid’s Lady Gaga gambit is designed to attract a young crowd to an old brand using the star’s magnetism.

Celebrity/brand endorsements have been around a long time, and some celebs have made a career out of it. Before his death in 2009, Ed McMahon had been known as a professional shill who promoted everything from beer to life insurance. It was particularly sad to see him pitching Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes and Cash4Gold.

I have nothing against celebrity endorsements that seem authentic. Some match-ups, though, stretch the boundaries of credibility. Michael Jordan promoting Nike or Gatorade makes perfect sense. Hayden Panettiere promoting Neutrogena… Ok. But Serena Williams promoting Tampax and Bruce Willis pitching Sobieski Vodka… I’m not sure about those. Next thing you know, William Shatner will be racing around in a van, hijacking people for Priceline.