A little truth in advertising can go a long way, maybe even to China. In 2014, China introduces a new law that makes it a requirement that celebrities actually use their products. This was after a string of ads in which the celebrities appearing in marketing campaigns obviously did not use the products they were peddling. (Celebrity doesn’t use the product they endorse.)
In a laughable example, “I’ve seen male celebrities endorse things like bras, lingerie and female body wash,” said one Wiebo commentator. “I even remember seeing one guy endorse sanitary pads!” That consumer was referring to Chinese star Jiro Wang, who indeed did pitch feminine napkins.
Another example is Chinese actor TaTang Guoqiang fronting a vocational school that grants bulldozer licenses.
There are some equally questionable celebrity endorsements that appear in the United States such as the Kardashians and Sears. It is absolutely ludicrous to think that any member of the Kardashian clan shops at Sears.
Bob Dylan appearing in a Victoria’s Secret is almost as weird, and maybe even downright creepy.
When Jessica Simpson partnered with The Tarrant Apparel Group to make her own brand of JS by Jessica simple apparel and Princy jeans, she refused to wear the cheap pieces from her own collection on the red carpets and in public appearances. In another related snafu, she told an interviewer that her favorite brand of jeans was True Religion. (Oops!) She ended up being sued for $100 million but after the suit was settled went on to make an estimated $750 million in sales in 2010.
In the 90’s Helen Bonham Carter endorsed Yardley cosmetics, but their relationship ended after the actress admitted that she never wore makeup and had no idea why the brand had chosen her to endorse its products.
Samsung seems particularly foolish after Manny Pacquaio, David Beckham and Ellen Degeneres were all “busted” for not using the products they endorsed in marketing campaigns.
Obviously these were bad judgement calls on the part of the company soliciting a celebrity endorsement. Had the companies above done bit more assessment of the celebrity vs. brand being endorsed, they could have avoided having egg on their faces and had more successful use of a celebrity endorsement.
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