Some celebs seem a perfect fit for certain products, says David T. Jones---or maybe not
For viewers, few things are sadder than an ill-fitting celebrity spokesperson---someone who's sleepwalking through the pitch, too obviously there for the money, or worse, embarrassed to be there at all. I prefer shills like that happy ShamWow guy---the perfectly named Vince Offer.
For brands and agencies, it's a choice that can backfire badly if, say, your star gets thrown off a plane for playing "Words with Friends" or arrested for brawling with a lady of the night (tsk, tsk, Vince). We think the best advice comes from Kirk Cheyfitz, CEO of Story Worldwide: "I recommend dead celebrities. Their mistakes are largely behind them."
Still, fame is a shiny object that attracts attention, and as David T. Jones latest cartoon asserts, celebrity endorsements aren't going away, no matter how tired, forced or hackneyed.
Check the full cartoon after the jump.
David T. Jones is the creator of Ad Land and chief creative officer at Third Street, an "attention agency" that he co-founded in 2009 after a long career at FCB Chicago. Ad Land has been featured in AdWeek magazine, beaucoup blogs and the book, The Creative Process Illustrated. Follow David on Twitter.
