Octagon First Call

The Country Music Awards (CMA’s) were televised last night and while the winners were pure country - George Strait, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley; the show stars we’re, let’s just say, “adopted” country. Take a look at Ken Barnes USA Today LIFE cover story today, of the nine photos selected, two were American Idol alums (Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler), one from Dancing with the Stars (Julianne Hough), two A-list actresses (Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman) and even Hannah Montana (i.e., Miley Cyrus). I’ll grant you that Miley’s dad is Billy Ray and Nicole’s hubby is Keith Urban. It is just another indication of how Hollywood and music (and sports typically) have collided into one world.

Carrie Underwood wins female vocalist of the year.

And while we are talking country, singer-songwriter Jewel along with Mary Kay cosmetics and the Country Music Association, unveiled the second annual “A Kiss for Country” promotion on Tuesday morning at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. The charitable campaign helps raise money for the prevention and awareness of domestic violence around the country. More than 60 artists, including Jewel, Reba McEntire, George Strait and LeAnn Rimes, kissed, signed and wrote inspirational messages on special Mary Kay prints that are now available for auction.

Also, Barbara Walters named today six of her top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for her TV special and two of them were Olympics 14-time gold medalist Michael Phelps and Sarah Palin-twin Tina Fey. The last four months have been very good for both of these stars.

From the early days of his campaign, President-elect Barack Obama has won the support of Hollywood.  While it is typical for celebrities to support their candidate of choice through financial means, Obama’s celebrity supporters have gone above and beyond the standard monetary donations.  Much can be learned from Obama’s extremely successful Presidential campaign.  He was able to use the strengths of each key influencer to reach a broad spectrum of the voting public.

For instance, the pro-Obama music video “Yes We Can” featured the talents of will.i.am (of the Black Eyed Peas), John Legend, Scarlett Johansson, Nick Cannon, Kate Walsh and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among others. The video’s skillful production and songwriting as well as the broad appeal of the celebrities quickly caused the video to become a YouTube sensation. Through the video’s viral campaign, Obama was able to reach the “youth” voters that proved to be crucial for his campaign.  

Oprah Winfrey, on the other hand, was able to target large audiences who regularly look to her for advice. Thus, by endorsing Obama through various media platforms that she controls (TV, radio, magazine, etc.), she was able to reach her trusting fans with Obama’s message.

And many more celebrities have helped the Obama campaign in a low-key fashion. Ed Norton placed phone calls to California voters on behalf of Obama. Scarlett Johansson knocked on voters’ doors in Minnesota. Ashley Judd spoke to a group of University of North Carolina students about early voting. And the list goes on. Each celebrity volunteered their time and unique talents to help Obama en route to the White House.

Much like Obama’s Presidential campaign, it is essential for a brand to recognize an influencer’s unique strengths. Successful campaigns will use tactics to capitalize on these strengths and effectively reach their target audience.

Think Pink Continued…
Talk show hosts aren’t the only people raising breast cancer awareness this month.  Breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow is raising money through the sales of her Bootheel Trading Co. clothing line.  10% of the proceeds will go to the Revlon/ UCLA Breast Center and the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program.  Crow also partnered with Yoplait for their Save Lids to Save Lives program, by hosting a private concert in Los Angeles.  For every pink lid donated at the concert, the brand gave $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and for every lid mailed to Yoplait through December 31st, the brand will donate $.10 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  Sales of Amy Grant’s new single, She Colors My Day, will go to the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund.  Mariah Carey will be celebrating the launch of her new fragrance by issuing a challenge for her fans to design a luscious pink dress for her.  The three winning dress designs will be produced — one for Mariah to wear, one for the winner and one to be auctioned off for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  Breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge is joining Hard Rock International to launch Pinktober, Hard Rock’s 9th annual breast cancer awareness campaign.  Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls is teaming up with the Jell-O, Cool Whip and Philadelphia brands to design limited edition t-shirts with proceeds benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  To learn more, visit http://www.kraftbrands.com/poseforthecure/.  With an extremely original tactic, Katy Perry will have a mold of her breasts created to be auctioned off for the Keep a Breast Foundation.

Boundless Energy
OutKast rapper Big Boi has signed on to be the new face of Coca-Cola’s Full Throttle Fury energy drink.  The drink is the official sponsor of both the record release parties and promotional tour for his new solo album, Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty, on shelves today.  Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens will be endorsing Dr. Pepper Snapple Group’s (DPSG) Venom energy drink.  Owens will be part of the brand’s marketing and promotional campaign, which includes attendance at sponsored events and presence on in-store merchandising materials.  DPSG will also donate money to Owens’ Catch a Dream foundation for every bottle of Venom energy drink sold through March 2009.  The always energetic Richard Simmons is appearing in Yoplait yogurt commercials to promote their low calorie flavors such as Key Lime Pie, Boston Cream Pie and Strawberry Shortcake.  Check out the spot here http://adsoftheworld.com/media/tv/yoplait_richard_simmons.   Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal is the spokeswoman for a nationwide casting call to find five young ambassadors who will deliver gifts to patients in children’s hospitals this holiday season  as a part of Duracell’s “Power A Smile” promotion. 

Lap of Luxury
At the age of 72, Sean Connery is appearing in print advertisements for fashion house Louis Vuitton, set to launch before the November release of the latest Bond installment, Quantum of Solace.  Fashion icon Jean Paul Gaultier has teamed up with Evian to make two exclusive creations for the company in 2009, the Evain Pret-a-Porter Bottle and the Evian Haute Couture Bottle.  Only seven of the Haute Couture Bottles will be released worldwide, and a few will be exhibited at select locations around the globe.  Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has signed a global development partnership deal with Dubai’s UAE Leisurecorp, which will see him design kitchens in homes and open his first two restaurants in the Middle East, both in the Water neighborhood of Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Now more than ever, tweens are reshaping the celebrity landscape.  With High School Musical 3 hitting theaters at the end of this month, the use of tweens in advertising and marketing campaigns is hitting a fever pitch. Several brands are looking to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the newest installment in the HSM series.

Honda recently signed on as the exclusive automotive sponsor of High School Musical 3: Senior Year. The co-branded campaign features members from the teen cast in TV and radio spots, print and online ads, and a microsite. The campaign also offers a sweepstakes with winners receiving autographed pieces from the HSM3 set as well as a 2009 Honda Odyssey. The cast can also be seen promoting Sara Lee’s Soft &Smooth brand in TV ads, point-of-sale-materials, PR, a HSM microsite, movie theater events and a consumer sweepstakes contest.

Tweens have now broken into the Broadway scene as the new musical “13″ opened on Sunday. The show speaks directly to its tween target demo with an entire cast and onstage band of teenagers. Look for these performers to start appearing in more mainstream tween entities.

And, these young stars are savvy about their images, many of them already linked to a cause or charity. Just this past weekend, many of the biggest tween stars attended ‘Target Presents Variety’s Power of Youth’ event supporting St. Jude Children’s Hospital.  Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Selena Gomez, Taylor Lautner, Miranda Cosgrove, Victoria Justice, Mitchel Musso, Brenda Song and Moises Arias (among others) were all in attendance.

Publicist Kristian Laliberte nailed it when she stated that “they’re the new influencers”. Today’s youth are hit with an overwhelming amount of media from all angles-TV, internet, cell phones, video games, blogs and more. Moreover, they have relatively large dispensable incomes and they’re looking to people they can relate to (ie: tween stars) for ideas on where to spend.  It is tweens’ media savvy combined with their purchasing power that enables them to influence marketing campaigns of popular products and brands.

Red Roof Inn loves country… and so does their guests. The leading budget lodging chain recently enlisted popular country music stars Phil Vassar and Little Big Town as a part of their multimedia campaign.

The artists recorded wake-up calls and hold messages for guests of the widespread inns. Red Roof Inn also created a Red Roof Loves Country website (hosted at the Great American Country- GAC- website) that features special video clips of Vassar and Little Big Town branded with the Red Roof label. The deal also includes sponsorship with a cable TV network and 250 radio stations devoted to country music in addition to traditional media (print ads, posters, postcards, sweepstakes, contests and discount hotel rooms).

The simple, country music of Vassar and Little Big Town matches the no-frills attitude of the hotel chain and their customers. As the CEO of Red Roof Inns stated, the country music-based campaign is “a bull’s-eye with [their] customer”.

Below is the second half of this month’s Talent Email. Be sure to also check out our feature in PR Week.

Dancing in September
Reality television’s reigning dance queen and rising country singer Julianne Hough is partnering with Wrigley, one of the world’s leading makers of chewing gum. Hough joins R&B music sensations Chris Brown and Ne-Yo to deliver their fresh new takes on Wrigley’s Doublemint, Juicy Fruit and Big Red commercial jingles. Hough’s DWTS partner, comedic radio personality Adam Corolla, is trading in his dancing shoes for tacos and burritos. Corolla is teaming up with Taco Bell to promote their all-new Big Bell Box Meal, which is said to satisfy all hunger needs at a low price. Taco Bell is also continuing its music promotion program called “Feed the Beat,” where the chain rewards successful indie rock bands such as Myriad with meals after their late night concerts.  All My Children actress and upcoming DWTS competitor Susan Lucci is starring in an infomercial for Malibu Pilates, a Pilates machine made by Gunthy Renker.  

Blue Jean Baby
William Rast, a denim brand created by Justin Timberlake and business partner Trace Ayala, is using scripted trailers as a unique way to promote the brand, starring none other than Timberlake himself.  The video can be found on http://www.williamrast.com/williamrast/index.html.  Olympic gold medal winner Nastia Liukin is starring in a series of print ads for Vanilla Star’s “Smart Girls Rock” campaign.  The ads for the jean brand will appear in national magazines, buses, kiosks and billboards in NYC and Los Angeles.  Levi’s has enlisted a list of celebs to promote their “Unbuttoned” campaign, including next-generation artists Estelle, Nikka Costa  and Wale.  Each artist has their own subsite, where users can download free content.  BMX rider Jamie Bestwick and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton are also participating in the promotion.  Levi’s will continue to unbutton new artists over the next year.  

Model Behavior
Clothier Hurley International has chosen model Bar Refaeli to star in an advertising campaign for their Young Contemporary collection.  She will be modeling next spring’s lineup of sporting bikinis, sheer T’s and denim shorts.  Yaya DaCosta, runner-up in Season 3 of America’s Next Top Model, is featured in a television commercial table dancing her way into a pair of high heels lined with Dr. Scholl’s massaging gel insoles.  No stranger to the beauty industry, model Gisele Bundchen will be the next spokesperson for Max Factor cosmetics, just in time to celebrate its 100th birthday.  Former model turned actress Brooke Shields has teamed up with VW in advertisements for the upcoming Routan minivan, the “only minivan in America with German engineering.”

If you would like to be added to our Talent Email distribution list please email caitlin.krembs@octagon.com.

Celebrities are lending their names to more than just perfume and soft drinks these days. As we’ve noted before, more and more celebrities are endorsing cause-related campaigns. This weekend, celebrities will be seen supporting good causes at three different television events.

Over 50 celebrities are slated to perform, take pledges and/or introduce segments of the program for Stand Up to Cancer, a charity focused on cancer awareness and research.  Many of the participating stars (ie: Christina Applegate, Katie Couric, Ellen DeGeneres) have a personal connection to the cause. The star-studded event will be aired on ABC, CBS, NBC and E! during Friday’s prime time slot.

Friday, Fashion Rocks will kick off New York Fashion Week (aired Tuesday on CBS). Performers include Justin Timberlake, Fergie, Keith Urban, the Pussycat Dolls and Kid Rock with Denis Leary hosting. The annual charity concert will benefit the Stand Up to Cancer charity.

Finally, the two-hour variety show America United: In Support of Our Troops will air on Sunday evening. Celebrities such as Pam Anderson, Janet Jackson, Ne-Yo and Snoop Dogg will make global appearances at military bases to benefit SupportAmericaUnited.com.

The celebrities involved in these events run the gamut in personalities, age and image. While this may attract a unique audience, cause-related campaigns should be aware of the change in perception that celebrity supporters/spokespeople can cause for a NPO. The results of our Cause-Related Celebrity Survey indicate that the public often changes their perspective on a campaign due to their personal opinion of celebrity spokespeople. 

Check back soon for a summary of all of our survey results.

The popular TV show Dancing with the Stars just released the newest roster of ‘stars’ for their seventh season. Coming off an Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball, Misty May-Treanor will appear on the show’s cast. Other athletes include retired NFL defensive tackle Warren Sapp (who just announced his retirement) and 2000 Olympic gold medalist sprinter Maurice Greene.

Singers Lance Bass and Toni Braxton as well as actors Susan Lucci, Ted McGinley, Cody Linley and Cloris Leachman will also compete on the show. Chef Rocco DiSpirito, reality show star Kim Kardashian, comedian Jeffrey Ross and model Brooke Burke will round out the list of competitors. The 13 stars and teammates comprise the largest contingent of contestants on the show.

In the past, DWTS has successfully reinvigorated contestants’ careers. Mario Lopez, Emmitt Smith and Drew Lachey saw marked increases in their marketability since their time on the show. Reaching over 20 million viewers two times a week, the show inevitably brings the cast into the media spotlight. However, the question of which star will be able to break out from the rest to re-launch their career remains to be seen. Who do you think will become this season’s fan favorites? Given the close proximity to the Olympics, Misty May-Treanor is a likely candidate. And, Rocco DiSpirito has the potential expand his appeal outside of the kitchen.

Using celebrity’s to endorse a product is nothing new. It has been occurring for decades now. However, celebrities (and their agents) have recently upped the ante on celebrity endorsements. No longer willing to lend their name to a product for a set fee, brands are now making lines of products branded with the celebrity’s name (think ‘Gatorade Tiger’) or giving the celebrity a stake in the company.

Stampede Light, a new start-up brewery based in Dallas, recently announcedthat Jessica Simpson will be the face of the brand’s Stampede Light Plus. Not only will Simpson appear in advertisments for the brand, she also gains a 15 percent stake in the company.

Simpson and Stampede may be a perfect fit for each other. Simpson gives the new brand some clout with her recognizable name and face (83% name recognition and 74% face recognition). She has gained a reputation for being health conscious (a core value of Stampede Light) since her daisy-dukes wearing role in The Dukes of Hazard. Moreover, since her recent transition into country music, Simpson has been looking to ingratiate  herself into country scene. The Dallas based company may represent a great opportunity for her to catapult herself into that world.

While the blonde bombshell may not initially be the first person that comes to mind when thinking about beer, the fit aligns with both parties objectives.

Like we’ve said before, traditional celebrities (actors, musicians and athletes) are not the only ones who are endorsing products and brands. While the Tiger Woods and Madonna’s of the world can still charge a hefty chunk of change for an endorsement fee, endorsement and PR budgets of companies are falling with the struggling economy. However, the Hank Haney’s (Tiger’s coach) and Tracy Anderson’s (Madonna’s trainer) of the world are more affordable and wield a considerable amount of influence over consumers.

McDonald’s recognized this potential in influencers and made a smart marketing move. Product placement has shown up in dramas and reality TV for a while now. McDonald’s, however, seized the opportunity to use true influencers in their product placement… newscasters. According to the New York Times, the fast food corporation struck a deal with 12 media stations owned by Meredith Corporation. Two cups of McDonald’s iced coffee sit prominently on the Las Vegas FOX affiliate’s morning news desk, displaying the McDonald’s logo for all to see.

Watching the morning news and sipping on a cup of coffee are included in most people’s morning routine. Thus, the marriage between the two seem to blend well together. Moreover, the newscasters are seen as a trusty and reliable source of (impartial) information. Hence, McDonald’s newest spokespeople have a significant amount of influence over their viewers. Considered experts, these influencers have great potential to increase the strength of McDonald’s campaign. And of course, the new delivery method has received considerable media buzz.