Celebrity brand match

Using celebrities to advertise products is nothing new. Even before Hollywood legends Rita Hayworth and John Wayne took up the challenge of promoting Tru-Color Lipstick and Camel cigarettes in the 1940s and 1950s, brands had recognised the allure of being associated with the idols of the day.

So this week’s news that chocolate bar Snickers is replacing A-Team hero Mr T with former Dynasty sirens Joan Collins and Stephanie Beacham shouldn’t be that much of a story – except nobody I have spoken to since can see an overt Joan Collins–Snickers connection. Of course other seemingly uncomfortable associations turn out rather well, such as John Lydon and Country Life, while some that look solid (Tiger Woods and Gillette) can become tarnished.

And perhaps Snickers’ use of Joan Collins is an example not of direct “endorsement”, but of the way that some brands are abandoning obvious brand fit in favour of associations that offer talkability. Or maybe the brand is merely continuing to tap in to the prevailing mood of 80s nostalgia, providing a warm feeling from the past as we contemplate a somewhat chilly immediate future.

However the campaign turns out, its worth considering the role of research in informing such “irrational” celebrity associations. Advertisers might question its usefulness in such a context, but good research will be fundamental to understanding how to maximise the value of this style of campaign by exploring the appeal of an apparently unconnected character. Brands still need to ensure that they bring the right ‘face’ on board, however unusual, and getting the tone and humour of the campaign right is essential. Research will help here too.

The choice to link Snickers with Mr T was clearly well researched. Not only was he retro and identifiable to those of us of a certain age, he was also cool to a younger generation through a resurgent interest in The A-Team on the back of the Hollywood remake of the television series. It remains to be seen how well Joan Collins will straddle these various demographics.