Endorsements // Current

Laura Bush glad Obama picked woman for high court

Former first lady Laura Bush says she's pleased that President Barack Obama nominated... more

Apocalipstick
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Beckham, Connery And Cruise in Sex pils advertising, another great Chinese recipe

Yes, David Beckham secret, in having posh a happy woman, is a Chinese sex drugs!... more

alexandrek
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Scandals tarnish star endorsements

A sputtering economy and a spate of superstar scandals are making companies more cautious about having famous faces attached to their products — and about whether they enlist celebrities at all, some marketing and branding experts say.
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and singer Chris Brown are the latest stars to see lucrative endorsement deals evaporate after they became embroiled in controversy. And as companies watch every marketing penny in this economy, they are weighing more than ever whether a high-profile name is worth possible damage to their brands and bottom lines if the star misbehaves.

"They are certainly thinking more about the potential risks," says Ann Green, senior vice president at Millward Brown, which works with more than 80% of the top 100 advertisers on how their marketing efforts affect their brands. "In the past few years, we have seen a slight decline in the use of celebrity endorsements and that is in part due to the risk associated as well as the necessary investment."

In a survey of national ads that aired during this year's Grammys telecast, brand and entertainment consulting firm GreenLight found that only 7% of those not connected to music or films featured a celebrity, compared with 13% last year and 21% in 2007.

"It's a considerable drop," says David Reeder, vice president of GreenLight. With the most popular entertainers and athletes demanding multimillion-dollar deals, hitching your brand to a superstar "becomes a really dicey proposition when you've got the economy working against you and these potential land mines sitting out there."

Kellogg (K) decided not to extend its contract with Olympic gold medalist Phelps after a picture of him apparently smoking marijuana was printed in a British tabloid earlier this month.

Days later, singer Brown, who sang the praises of Doublemint gum in a national broadcast and radio campaign, was booked on a felony charge of suspicion of making a criminal threat against a woman. The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., (WWY) a unit of Mars, said in a statement that it was "concerned by the serious allegations" and suspended the ads "until the matter is resolved."

Not all advertisers are abandoning Phelps. Subway, whose multiyear endorsement deal with him began in November, says that it will not sever their relationship — or back away from celebrity endorsers. "We accepted his apology," says Mack Bridenbaker, a spokesman for Subway, adding that Phelps' campaign spans broadcast, print and the Internet. "We're disappointed, sure. But we're going to stick by him."

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Should Michael Phelps lose endorsements?A sputtering economy and a spate of superstar scandals are making companies more... more

Buddah_Funk
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9 months ago
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In Defense of Michael Phelps' Bong Hits

After a photo surfaced of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps taking bong hits, all hell... more

Ben_Hoffman
added this
10 months ago
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94 comments

The Cheney Effect

Cheney endorses McCain. Will this be the veritable "final nail"?

PoliticalGeek
added this
1 year ago
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32 comments

Ron Reagan making it official: I endorse Barack Obama

Oh yeah!

WhichWayIsUp
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1 year ago
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4 comments

Obama Endorsements From Alaska to B-More

Right Wing newspapers, GOP governors and senators and the cast of The Wire

caseygane
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1 year ago
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Don Imus Voting For McCain-Palin & Hoping McCain Doesn't Die (also calls Katie Couric a rodent)

There's a resounding endorsement!

tallygirl
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1 year ago
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2 comments

McCain has trouble remembering his own Secretary of State endorsements

Sunday, October 26, 2008: On MSNBC's Meet the Press with Tom Brokaw, John McCain has... more

tallygirl
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1 year ago
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19 comments

Powell Endorsement About Race!

This is a great op-ed piece listing Republicans who are endorsing Obama, quite... more

alicynx
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1 year ago
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24 comments

Colin Powell endorses Barak Obama

Liked by neither left nor right, yet living up to a code of honor many don't... more

neocongo
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1 year ago
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2 comments

Chicago Tribune endorses Barack Obama, first time that the newspaper endorsed a Democrat

The Chicago Tribune today endorsed Barack Obama for president, making it the first... more

aharvath
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1 year ago
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0 comments

Bush-supporter Dennis Hopper switches his vote: "I pray" Obama wins

Dennis Hopper has always been one of my favorite actors. Knowing some of the movies... more

Trypnotik
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1 year ago
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21 comments

Colin Powell Endorse Obama?

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who served under three Republican presidents,... more

Apocalipstick
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1 year ago
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3 comments

Fox News Racism Says Powell Will Endorse Obama

OK, never mind what I said about Lawrence O’Donnell. Fox News has an item about a... more

Apocalipstick
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1 year ago
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1 comment

Christopher Buckley Resigns From National Review - The Hate Continues

Christopher Buckley, the author and son of the late conservative mainstay William F.... more

Apocalipstick
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1 year ago
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0 comments

Republicans want Paul to endorse McCain; He says No

WASHINGTON - Republican Rep. Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning Texas lawmaker who... more

ivxx
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1 year ago
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4 comments

Endorsing Obama: major ethanol producers’ organization

The American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) has announced their endorsement of Barack... more

wholefreespirit
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1 year ago
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18 comments

Olympian Michael Phelps flakes out with paid endorsement to peddle junk to children

Super-Olympian Michael Phelps, who famously follows a horrendous junk food diet, has now signed a lucrative deal to promote Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes. In doing so, he will leverage his celebrity status to push sugary, processed foods onto a generation of children who already suffer from unprecedented rates of obesity and diabetes. Processed sugar, as you know, promotes both diseases and causes nutritional deficiencies at the same time.

The deal has earned Phelps harsh criticism from some doctors, such as nutritionist Rebecca Solomon of Mount Sanai Medical Center. In a Daily News article posted this morning, Solomon said, "I would not consider Frosted Flakes the food of an Olympian."

That's the understatement of the day. I would consider Frosted Flakes to be the food of a generation of obese, diabetic, ADHD kids who need real role models they can follow, not sellout junk food promoters who trade fame for unethical profits.

Does Phelps have the right to promote Frosted Flakes? He has the legal right, sure, but given his considerable notoriety, he has the moral obligation to more carefully consider the consequences of his endorsements. Still, to expect a junk-food-eating 23-year-old to understand nutrition and ethics may be asking a bit too much, but it's not exactly rocket science to understand that processed sugar promotes obesity.

Michael "Sellout" Phelps

In my view, by endorsing Frosted Flakes cereal, Michael Phelps has gone from a Super Olympian to a Super Sellout. He has now proven himself no different than anybody else who pushes unhealthy substances to American kids, other than the fact he can swim really fast. Why couldn't Phelps have sought out a superfood company to endorse instead? Or at least a healthy food product? (Answer: Because cereal companies operate on much higher markups and have a lot more money to burn on celebrity endorsements.)

Alchemists say you can't turn lead into gold, but with this Kellogg's deal, Phelps has done something even more amazing: He's turned gold into fool's gold, because sugared-up corn flakes is not the breakfast of champions; it's the breakfast of fools.Super-Olympian Michael Phelps, who famously follows a horrendous junk food diet, has... more

JanforGore
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1 year ago
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42 comments

Toby Keith praises Obama, says he's a Democrat

Barack Obama is getting praise from Nashville, courtesy of one big, patriotic country... more

rabidlemur
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1 year ago
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24 comments

tagged w/ Endorsements

Laura Bush glad Obama picked woman for high court

Beckham, Connery And Cruise in Sex pils advertising, another great Chinese recipe

Scandals tarnish star endorsements

In Defense of Michael Phelps' Bong Hits

The Cheney Effect

Ron Reagan making it official: I endorse Barack Obama

Obama Endorsements From Alaska to B-More

Don Imus Voting For McCain-Palin & Hoping McCain Doesn't Die (also calls Katie Couric a rodent)

McCain has trouble remembering his own Secretary of State endorsements

Powell Endorsement About Race!

Colin Powell endorses Barak Obama

Chicago Tribune endorses Barack Obama, first time that the newspaper endorsed a Democrat

Bush-supporter Dennis Hopper switches his vote: "I pray" Obama wins

Colin Powell Endorse Obama?

Fox News Racism Says Powell Will Endorse Obama

Christopher Buckley Resigns From National Review - The Hate Continues

Republicans want Paul to endorse McCain; He says No

Endorsing Obama: major ethanol producers’ organization

Olympian Michael Phelps flakes out with paid endorsement to peddle junk to children

Toby Keith praises Obama, says he's a Democrat

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