It’s unimaginable that Jimmy Stewart, Kirk Douglas or John Wayne would have endorsed a perfume at the height of their careers.
But it’s a new era where movie stars routinely are pitchmen/women for wrist watches (Leonardo DiCaprio for the Tag Heuer brand), cars (Laurence Fishburne for Kia) and fashion (Nicole Kidman for designer Jimmy Choo). And don’t forget the stinky water! In 2012, A-lister Brad Pitt appeared in ads for the Chanel No. 5 fragrance.
This stars-as-shills is a new trend of just the past few years and I think it’s no accident it coincides with movie stars losing some luster with cinema audiences. Decades ago, movie stars were on pedestals — remote and audiences closely associated them with their silver-screen acting roles. Now, Hollywood stars are seen or heard in TV commercials has hucksters and some are eager to comment on political/social issues. Back in the day, stars kept their politics to themselves, so they didn’t polarize their appeal. It’s their choice either way; I’m simply pointing out a little-appreciated shift in our celebrity-obsessed landscape.
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