Lexington, KY - Those of us who are old enough can remember O.J. Simpson running through an airport in a TV ad for a rental car company. A few years later, he's mostly remembered for running from police in an SUV.
After the Olympics, there were images of Michael Phelps pitching assorted products. Shortly after, the images were of him smoking pot.
Charlie Sheen makes people laugh every week on his sitcom and in Hane's commercials. But no one was laughing when his wife called police saying he was trying to kill her.
And then there's Tiger Woods. His squeaky clean, family guy image was used to sell an assortment of products. Then, his not so squeaky clean image was on the cover of tabloids with an assortment of women who claimed to have had sexual relationships with him.
So, what did all these companies get for their money after the celebrities were found to be different than their carefully packaged images? Is this money well spent?
In a culture that's become celebrity obsessed to the point that celebrity news passes for real news and people are willing to sacrifice their children or show up uninvited at a White House function to get their 15 minutes of fame, is it a surprise that so many companies hang their hats on celebrity endorsements?
Using paid celebrity endorsers to sell products has been an advertising tactic for years, and it's done at the local level, too. Radio and television personalities, coaches and other local "celebrities" are in demand. Advertisers believe linking well-known folks to their products is good for business. But when good celebrities go bad is the risk worth it?
Believe it or not, some pundits say in Tiger's case, it is. They think some companies are benefitting from their association with Tiger even though he's in hot water. Take Accenture. This company was not a household name before Tiger appeared in its ads. Accenture's products are sold to other businesses, so consumers had little knowledge of it. Now, many more people have heard of Accenture and some experts say the more Tiger's endorsement contracts are talked about in the media, the better for companies like Accenture.
Dr. Jim Gleason, assistant professor at Eastern Kentucky University's Department of Communication, said there's always some degree of risk in staking your reputation on somebody else.
"You're playing off their celebrity to build your own credibility," Gleason said. "You gamble when you relinquish control."
Gleason said conventional wisdom says using celebrities in ads works, but he's not so sure.
"I would love to see the data," he said. "There may be a correlation, but I'm not sure there's cause and effect."
In cases like Nike's Air Jordan products, undoubtedly there is data to back up sales. Kids want to play like Jordan, so they buy his shoes. Even after his retirement, Jordan is a strong brand. Nike said it won't drop Tiger. The company is gambling big bucks hoping golfers will continue to buy Tiger products. Another company taking a gamble is Electronic Arts, better known as EA Sports. It's introducing a new Tiger Woods PGA game.
Obviously, there's a risk of sticking with a celebrity that could turn off some buyers. A recent article from Cleveland.com quotes Walter Sokira of Case Western Reserve as saying companies don't use athletes in commercials aimed at women. He said women are not as forgiving of athletes' misdeeds.
Tainted celebrities are not confined to the national level. The recent arrest of a Lexington radio personality on charges of child pornography made business owners cringe. The last thing a charity or business needs is for their spokesperson to be arrested for any reason.
In Kentucky, companies pay big bucks to be linked with University of Kentucky coaches. A love for all things UK unites the commonwealth, so it's a can't miss strategy -
or is it? If a coach falls out of favor with fans, what are the repercussions for a business that is affiliated with that coach? Interestingly, Gleason, the EKU assistant professor, said UK coach John Calipari may be the only local celebrity at this time "that has juice."
When it comes to using celebrity endorsers, advertisers need to ask themselves a number of questions.