You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Celebrity’ tag.
We’ve seen Kate Moss knock off her own designer wardrobe for Topshop, had M, Madonna’s money-saving ranges for H&M, and “Lily [Allen] Loves” a bargain at New Look. But cheap-as-chips celebrity collaborations are looking old hat compared with a new wave of tie-ups that have more than just self-promotion and the retailer’s bottom line in mind.
Natalie Portman, the star of films such as Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and the Star Wars prequels, is going one step further by designing her own vegan-friendly shoes for a New York boutique. The collection, for the Manhattan shoe emporium T Casan, goes on sale next month although keen shoppers can place pre-orders from 15 January. The vegetarian actor’s designs will sell for about $200 (100), making them a cheaper alternative to Stella McCartney’s leather-eschewing shoes which sell for at least 295.
So far eco-minded celebrity alliances have been few and far between, but retail experts predict that Portman’s shoes are the future of high street fashion for 2008. Leona Lewis, the X Factor winner turned pop diva and a fellow vegetarian, last week said she would “love” to create her own range of affordable non-leather bags and shoes.
Meanwhile, Debenhams has allied itself with Sir Steve Redgrave, the Olympic oarsman, who has put his name to a clothing range made with Fairtrade cotton that will go on sale for Fairtrade fortnight next month. 
And Katharine Hamnett, the fashion designer, is searching for a new high street partner after axing her nascent alliance with Tesco for her range of T-shirts made from organic cotton. Even Pamela Anderson, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has done her bit with a cruelty-free clothing line.
Richard Hyman, who runs Verdict Consulting, a retail consultancy, said shops ploughing the well-trodden celebrity endorsement route would not be enough of a draw for saturated shoppers. “This year shops will have to find the right endorsement that is sympathetic to their marketplace,” he said, adding that tapping into the consumers’ blossoming ethical consciousness with targeted tie-ups was one option retailers would choose. “Retailing today needs to be about offering a genuine point of difference,” he added.
Lauretta Roberts, editor of the trade fashion magazine Drapers, said eco-fashion was the “number one cause at the moment”, predicting more collaborations. “I don’t think we’ve had Lily Loves Organic Cotton. Not yet, anyway.” But she cautioned: “Whoever does it, both in terms of the celebrity and the fashion brand, would have to think very carefully. It would need to be a credible pairing on both sides, as you’re just asking for people to scrutinise your behaviour and business practices if you style yourself as an eco-warrior.”
Anya Hindmarch, the luxury handbag designer, knows this only too well. Despite being for an ethical cause, her limited-edition “I’m not a plastic bag” cloth bag, sold by Sainsbury’s, hit the headlines for the wrong reasons after it emerged it was made in China using cheap labour even though the supermarket said the factory pays double the minimum wage.
And although McCartney makes vegetarian-friendly shoes and clothes, Ethical Consumer magazine, which advises consumers where to shop on ethical grounds, points out that the designer’s eponymous label is owned by PPR, the luxury fashion giant behind several other lines that use furs such as fox, badger and mink.
Portman’s shoes will be made without animal ingredients: leather, fur and feathers are all off-limits. T Casan has said it will donate 5 per cent of the range’s profits to charity.
Natalie Portman
The most glamorous of the new wave of ethical fashion champions, the actress has designed a collection of red-carpet-ready shoes that are fit for vegetarians such as herself. Now all she needs is an Oscar nomination
Sir Steve Redgrave
An unlikely eco-fashion warrior, perhaps, but the multiple Olympic gold medallist rower clearly has principles to protect. A range of Fairtrade cotton clothing bearing his name goes into Debenhams stores next month
Katharine Hamnett
The organic cotton pioneer may have terminated her contract with Tesco to produce environmentally friendly T-shirts, but her sentiment remains. Expect to see more of the same from the designer soon
Anya Hindmarch
The handbag designer sought to do her bit for the planet with a highly covetable reusable carrier bag. How many of the limited edition run ever made contact with the weekly shop, however, is another matter altogether
Pamela Anderson
The ex-‘Baywatch’ star, an ardent vegetarian, has turned fashion designer with a range of “cruelty-free” clothing, which debuted in 2004. A percentage of the profits went to Peta, the anti-fur animal charity
Celebrities have long endorsed products, and now many are using their fame to promote issues and causes. Shortly after becoming household names, many actors, singers and athletes establish charitable foundations in their names. They use their star power to increase public awareness of everything from diseases to political issues.
TV personality Rosie O’Donnell established the For All Kids Foundation, which gives grants to support the social and intellectual development of underserved kids. The foundation has awarded $10.2 million since 1997, much of it to established child care programs. eBay hosts a charity auction to benefit the foundation with the sales of celebrity items.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research hopes to find a cure for the disease by 2010. Television and film actor Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s, wants his foundation to increase public awareness of the disease and raise funds for research.
U2 lead singer Bono has been involved in many issues throughout the years and supports the work of Greenpeace, War Child and Amnesty International. His latest project is Project Red, a partnership with several large corporations to increase awareness of AIDS in Africa.
Daytime talk queen Oprah Winfrey used her celebrity to power Oprah’s Angel Network. With viewer donations, the network has built 200 homes for Habitat for Humanity and sent 150 students to college. Oprah also gives a weekly “Use Your Life Award” to a local hero who improves the lives of others.
The National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance was co-founded by Today host Katie Couric. The group hopes to educate the public about the cancer, which is treatable if detected early.
The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation supports research to develop treatments and a cure for paralysis resulting from spinal cord injuries. Reeve serves as chairman of the board and the foundation has raised millions of dollars for individual research grants and programs to enrich the lives of people with disabilities.
After directing the Oscar-winning “Schindler’s List,” Steven Spielberg established the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. The group’s mission is to chronicle eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust. Spielberg is also chairman of the Starbright Foundation, which works with seriously ill children.
As more athletes achieve celebrity status, they are also promoting their causes and issues. Soccer sensation Mia Hamm set up her foundation to raise money for bone marrow disease research and programs for young women in sports. The Mark McGwire Foundation For Children works to prevent child abuse. The Tiger Woods Foundation works to help children accomplish life goals.
Many athletes promote awareness of diseases. The Mario Lemieux Foundation raises money for Hodgkin’s disease research. Buffalo Bills quarterback Doug Flutie and his wife Laurie established the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, in honor of their autistic son. The Lance Armstrong Foundation helps people survive and manage cancer.
Beginning as a vehicle to help sufferers of HIV/AIDS, the Magic Johnson Foundation now awards scholarships and grants to inner-city students and communities as well. Basketball superstar Michael Jordan set up the James R. Jordan Boys & Girls Club and Family Life Center in honor of his late father.
Source: Givespot
Celebrities can bring visibility, credibility, and attract more media attention to cause marketing campaigns. They can also be very demanding and difficult to work with.
Successfully contacting, negotiating, and working with celebrities requires critical research and specialized rules of protocol, according to Rita Tateel, president and founder of The Celebrity Source, Inc.
Rita has partnered Kareem Abdul Jabar with Energizer Batteries and the International Fire Chiefs Association; Robert Guillaume with Quaker Oatmeal and the American Heart Association; and Shannon Doherty with Contadina and Second Harvest to name a few.
Rita shared her top, hard-earned tips for working with celebrities with the Cause Marketing Forum:
1) Put Yourself in a Star’s Shoes
Before you ask a celebrity to participate in a project, PR campaign, or special event, ask yourself this question as though you were that celebrity: “What’s in it for me; why should I do this?”
We would all like to think that celebrities get involved with cause-related marketing campaigns because they really care about the cause. While this can be a contributing reason, the truth is that most celebs are motivated by other factors. If you have money, it’s a great motivator. But when budgets are slim-to-none, great perks and gifts can go far in getting a celebrity to say “yes.” Other motivators can include media exposure, personal interest in the activity or sport, personal connections to the city, a desire to change one’s image, the fun/exclusivity of the event, or because of who asked them.
2) Make A List
Once a celebrity has agreed to participate, make a list of absolutely everything he or she might want to know and do—every question this personality might have—from arrival to departure. Then list of all your answers.
Celebrities and their representatives can become very demanding and difficult to work with if the celebrity feels insecure about his or her involvement. The best way to help make celebrities (and their representatives) feel secure is to demonstrate that you have considered every little detail and have anticipated their every question.
3) Respect Their Time
Time is a celebrity’s most valuable commodity; don’t waste it.
The bigger the celebrity, the less time he or she has. There are so many people wanting a piece of the celebrity’s time, they have to ensure that the time they do give to a cause makes an impact and is time well spent. So, ask for the least amount of time that will fill your needs. Don’t ask celebrities to arrive earlier than needed. And never make them wait!
4) Keep Briefings Brief
When a celebrity briefing session is necessary, determine whether it must be in person, or if the briefing can be handled by phone, fax and e-mail. Of course, we would all rather meet celebrities in person. But, remember my “tip #3—that time is their most valuable commodity. So use the phone, fax or email if you can.
If you must meet in person, have no more than one or two people at the briefing session and make it as to the point as possible. More than an hour is seldom needed.
5)Avoid Deluging Stars With Data
Celebrities won’t want to memorize lots of facts and figures—unless they are being paid quite handsomely. Therefore, I recommend no more than 3-4 bullet points of the most important information you want your celebrity to communicate to the media.
Fax or e-mail briefing notes in advance and also have it on site, ready when the celebrity arrives.
6) Don’t make any promises you can’t keep and do keep all of the promises you make
Source: Cause Marketing Forum, Author Rita Tateel
WWF are urging celebrities to think twice about the luxury brands that they endorse, in a bid to stem the unethical practises of high-end corporations.
Ever bought something that costs more than you would usually spend because a celebrity you admire is the ‘face’ of the product’s brand name? It might be worth doing your own research on luxury brands before buying the latest ‘it’ item.
Findings carried out by WWF’s Deeper Luxury report, have shown that the largest luxury groups, such as Hermes, Tods and Bulgari had worse environmental and social performance than less luxury brands. WWF are hoping that their research will cause the luxury companies to seek excellence in ethical areas and communicate this to consumers.
Celebrities are crucial in the success of these corporations, and WWF knows that celebrities influence consumers greatly.
One way WWF think sustainable business practise could become more well established is if celebrities themselves chose not to work with companies that do not adhere to certain ethical standards. To help celebs choose only ‘clean’ brands they have created a Star Charter, which encourages them to get indendent advice on a brand before signing up to them, recognise their power as consumer influencers and to consider social and environmental performance of a corporation before endorsing them.
Although we all try and make ethical consumer choices, it would definitely be more of an incentive if we knew someone like Alexa Chung was wearing our vegan handbag too, even if it still had the luxury price tag.
WWF Star Charter
Under this Charter, brand endorsers undertake:
- To recognise their potential to influence consumer behaviour.
- To encourage both consumers and companies to be aware of the social and environmental aspects of their activities.
- To consider the social and environmental performance of companies before endorsing them.
- To obtain independent expert advice on that performance before endorsing companies.
- To address any public concerns over the social and environmental performance of the brands that they currently endorse.
- To tell professional colleagues about their commitment to the Star Charter.
Green My Style: January 14, 2009 by Clare Saxon
You can download the full report for free from WWF.org.uk
Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of the celebrity touch. From Jay-Z making Cristal cool (and then taking it all back) to Bob Dole making it OK to talk about “problems down there,” a strong celebrity endorsement is often what it takes to bring a brand into the limelight. I still remember drinking Gatorade with my Wheaties thanks to number #23. While my palette has since advanced; I must admit, I still want to be like Mike.
In the above examples an individual product or brand is being promoted, but the same effect can be had for an entire cause or movement. From Brad Pitt freeing Tibet to Pamela Anderson baring it all for PETA, celebrity endorsements are often what it takes to rally the masses. Now it is the environments turn. Celebs are now seen everywhere from the red carpet to the red clay roads of Georgia (Ludacris’ new hybrid) displaying an eco friendly message. Green has gone chic.
Actresses such as Natalie Portman are ditching the Louis Vuitton in favor of eco bags. Why spend so much in this economy when for under a $1.00 you can be just as stylish, and convey a positive message, with a custom reusable bag? Eco friendly bags have endless options and designers at Factory Direct Promos, found at www.factorydirectpromos.com, are ready to assist in making your creative vision a reality. A good nonwoven bag should last up to two years of regular use. When you are done with it, the recyclable raw materials mean that it can return to the Earth, not sit in a landfill. If a stylish eco bag is good enough for Natalie Portman or Gwyneth Paltrow, it should suffice just fine for the rest of us as well.
Quality reusable bags are just the start, eco friendliness is starting to pop up in celebrity driveways as well. Next time you see Ludacris cruising down the road know there is a lot more to his ride then just a set of chrome wheels and a thundering sound system. Under the hood you’ll find a hybrid engine that uses methods such as regenerative braking to increase his MPG, decreasing harmful emissions in the process. Perhaps he is going back to his mansion, where he has solar panels on the roof. Brad Pitt is another convert. He recently traded in his fleet of convertibles for the new Lexus RX 400h luxury SUV hybrid. Once the new Tesla electric sports car goes into mass production, look out for motorists cruising past you in eco friendly style.
These celebrities didn’t do anything dramatic or life altering. Ms. Portman simply opted to use reusable bags, while Ludacris and Brad bought a few new cars. This is exactly the point; there is no longer a reason not to use eco friendly products. They are cool and chic, display a positive message about your brand or self, and are quite affordable. The trendsetters are going the eco friendly route, so why shouldn’t you?
The impact is even more felt for business owners and marketing managers. No longer is it acceptable in the public’s eye to be wasteful or a polluter. Opting to use eco-friendly products, such as polypropylene bags in place of plastics, means that you are sending a message to your potential customers that you care about this Earth of ours. The little decisions we make really do add up. Next time you are in need of custom manufacturing, do the right thing, choose Factory Direct Promos.
May 26th, 2009 – Posted in Eco Smart Solutions
CONSCIOUS VENTURES 