It’s every corporate sponsor’s nightmare: A Hollywood star tarnishes the brand in a speech at an event underwritten by the sponsor.
At the Film Independent Spirit Awards, actor Paul Thomas Anderson ripped American Airlines while accepting an honor from the podium. American Airlines is a Spirit Awards sponsor. “Don’t fly American Airlines, man,” Anderson said while accepting a prize for “Inherent Vice.” “They will f***ing lose your luggage.”
Says a Variety story by Maane Khatchatourian says, “Earlier in the ceremony, award presenters Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Wiig poked fun at the awards show’s extensive list of sponsors, including Piaget luxury products, the Lincoln Motor Company, Bank of America, Heineken beer and indie-film outfit IFC.”
“According to Nielsen Company research in 2011,” says the third edition of “Marketing To Moviegoers,” “celebrity endorsements are valuable because the celebrity is an attention-getter who cuts through media clutter, and consumers who follow celebrities are opinion leaders with peers.”
Bad behavior and brands getting tarnished unexpectedly is a risk corporate sponsors take when they align themselves with stars or movie industry brands, which is a tradeoff with latching on to Hollywood’s glow.
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