WHEN CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS GO WRONG
Campaigns with Liv Taylor, Scarlett Johansson, and Zoe Saldena strike the wrong note...
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Rihanna and JLo went couture with ads for high end brands. Victoria Beckham went legs up for Marc Jacobs. Drew Barrymore broke the mold when she shilled for Guess in the 90’s, and continues to shine in Cover Girl Ads. Eva Longoria was adorable for Bebe, and the ads were in keeping with her Desperate Housewives character, Gabby.  Kiera Nightly and Nicole Kidman have been dreamy for Chanel. Even former ‘Alexis’ Joan Collins showed up in amazing ads for Alexis Bittar this year. We all love it when celebrities get glam for ads that combine our love of shop with our stargazing habit. But when the fit is wrong - much like clothing - the outcome can be uncomfortable. Liv Tyler for G-Star Raw is one example. It feels like she’s too old for this brand. I know she’s a star, but the first time I saw these ads, I wondered if she hadn’t run out of her Lord of the Rings money ahead of schedule. I understand that G-Star Raw wants to expand its American presence, and perhaps appeal to another demographic, but Liv is not ringing any bells for me.
.jpg?1270573656) Scarlett Johansson for Mango is also strange. Of course it's cool that she designed a bag for Haitian Disaster Relief, but the ads for the clothing line just don’t resonate. Even with lovely photography by Mario Sorrenti, amazing lighting, hair and make-up, the clothing still looks cheap.
 The worst offense is the denim shirt belted at the waist. No, wait - the sleeveless trench coat is worse. There is no Photoshop for cheap fabric sheen. I look at these ads and think, "I’ve seen ScarJo in red carpet couture and ads for Louis Vuitton, so I am not buying this."
.jpg?1270573674) The actress has said she really enjoys doing the ads, and I don’t blame her - she look gorgeous, and there was probably great catering on set. I’m just not sold on the idea that she actually wears those cheap clothes. Perhaps I'll feel differently if she convincingly wears Mango head to toe at her next premiere.
Zoe Saldana for Avon is another jaw-dropper. She was Uhura in the Star Trek remake, and then she did Avatar - so is this really the best first endorsement deal Zoe could get? She said it was because she and Avon share similar values, and they empower women, but there are a lot of other companies that empower women, so why this one?
.jpg?1270573694) I bet Avon’s happy, because Zoe is so gorgeous. But why wouldn't she hold out for something better? Her presence in the ad for Eternal Magic is jarring, so I would have expected something sexier. She looked great in her Gap ads, and something a step up from that (hmm - Zoe Saldana for G-Star Raw?) would have been more in keeping with her new role as a blockbuster princess.
Maybe this is why stars used to go running to Japan to make commercials for brands they wouldn’t touch in the U.S.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
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