Yes, it’s true. You may have recently noticed the trend in celebrity A-listers in marketing “partnerships” with various brands. Gone are the days when marketers paid big bucks for the usual celebrity endorsements, where the stars grace a box of Wheaties or sip on a beverage in a commercial. You could basically pay a celeb to say anything to represent a brand.

Now, brands are working with celebs to fill specific roles on their marketing teams witch such titles as “Brand Ambassador, Creative Director, Musical Curator”, etc.  This is all in an attempt to position the pair as a more authentic team, a true ambassador, in a time when consumers are much less impressed by the usual endorsements.

There are pros and cons to this idea, and there is no doubt it will have an impact on traditional celebrity marketing.

Check out the recent article by Ad Age;

“More Than a Pitchman: Why Stars Are Getting Marketing Titles”

“If you wanted to take a very cynical view, you could say these brands are taking borrowed equity to another level, trading on the celebrities’ name at a higher level,” said branding consultant Denise Lee Yohn. “But in some cases, a lot of value is being provided by these celebrities.”

“So what do real creatives think of celebs getting these titles? “Most is hype,” said Pete Favat, chief creative officer at Havas-owned Arnold. “But no doubt some people become celebs because they are truly creative people, so why not experiment?”

That said, he added, “If brands are doing it for PR buzz, it’s a stupid idea. … No one cares who the creative director is as long as the work is great.”

For the full article visit:
http://adage.com/article/news/timberlake-beyonce-marketing-titles/239712/

Happy clicking!