Brand Dig: From Chanel to American Express, celebrity brand associations are changing

In this blog series, we dig into the world of marketing and discuss brands, news, trends and examples that have made the digital headlines.

In this week’s post, marketer Kyle looks at how brands are steering away from unconvincing famous brand associations and are now calling on celebrities to be more hands-on in their roles.

Peanut butter and jam, gin and tonic, night and day, Tom Selleck and a moustache: all these things have developed a near-perfect combination that is more than just the sum of parts. Of course, this is what brands can only dream of when it comes to influencers in their ad campaigns. With the right ambassador, brands can propel themselves to the next level. And although companies often get it right, things can get really awkward when they don't. As such, bad brand-influencer partnerships are not so much peanut butter and jam (jelly for our American audience), but a taste more reminiscent of marmite and fish paste...

When Chanel tried to channel Brad Pitt’s charm

Brad Pitt is, let's face it, a pretty spectacular human being, and arguably one of the most admired people in the world. As such, brands have long tried to benefit from his charm. But when Chanel used the actor in an advertisement for its No.5 fragrance back in 2012, it sparked confusion among its consumers – was the classic women’s perfume also for men? Or would it start attracting men like Pitt? Chanel hasn't had the best track record with influencers and this campaign was widely regarded as the worst. What made people cringe was not so much the male/female boundary breaking, rather, the execution of the ad and mixed messaging: the clichéd dim lights, the flawless model type and with a script written like a romance novel - but without a proper sentence structure. Using a concept (a man advertising a classic feminine product) that was untested, off brand key and flat in execution did not work out well for either Brad or Chanel. It did, however, give way for a great parody.

MAC Cosmetics taps celebrities for creative collaborations

With plenty of bad examples around and celebrity culture being ubiquitous, it's perhaps no surprise that brands have over the years tried to reshape the traditional spokesperson role, making things much more collaborative. MAC Cosmetics has channeled this mentality with its Viva Glam charitable makeup line, enlisting the likes of Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Ariana Grande to create their own colour combinations and products. In terms of an endorsement, this feels more genuine because consumers have a tangible product that’s seemingly created by the ambassador, rather than slapping a face on existing goods for promotion.

American Express appoints Pharrell Williams as creative director

The next step up is when brands actively employ celebrities in roles within their companies – this week, American Express announced Pharrell Williams as its new creative director, saying the artist was a natural choice for the position. “When we think about Pharrell, you know him as a musician, but there's so much more than the performer part. He's a producer, he's an artist, he's a designer,” says Janey Whiteside, American Express's Executive Vice President and General Manager of Global Charge Products Benefits and Services (try say that again quickly).

This model is one more and more businesses are working with – brands such as Polaroid, Blackberry and Puma have employed celebrities as creative directors in the past - but it does highlight a shift away from stale faces-of-brands in favour of more practical collaborations, and possible genuine endorsements. What remains to be seen is how involved these celebrities actually are in the day-to-day tasks of these roles. Do consumers genuinely believe they are involved in the company and, if they are, how much does a company benefit from employing someone who doesn’t have the kind of extensive experience required for such a position?

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