Celebrity endorsements are not a new phenomenon — in fact, they've been around pretty much
as long as celebrities have.
People in power figured out long ago that putting a familiar face to a product or service
you're trying to sell gets results, though sometimes it can have the opposite effect
on said celebrity.
Rat Pack crooner Sammy Davis, Jr became a laughing stock back in the 1970s when he appeared
in a campaign for Alka-Seltzer:
"Plop plop fizz fizz oh what a relief it is."
But Sammy's far from being the last celeb to sell out for the sake of a quick buck.
Nobody can blame an up-and-comer for using an established brand to widen their audience.
But when Hollywood A-listers and legends of music start to pop up in commercials for ice
cream and underwear, it becomes clear that some celebs will just never have deep enough
pockets.
Scarlett Johansson for SodaStream
All she did was mix some plain water with bubbles and add a dash of flavor, yet instead
of a refreshing beverage Scarlett Johansson stirred up a media storm.
"Like most actors my real job is saving the world"
The A-list beauty's eight-year relationship with the charity Oxfam came to an ugly end
when she appeared in a commercial for SodaStream against their wishes.
The humanitarian organization was unhappy that their ambassador was supporting an Israeli
company that they claim operates illegally in the occupied West Bank.
Oxfam said in a statement, that while they, quote, "[Respect] the independence of our
ambassadors, Ms Johansson's role promoting the company SodaStream is incompatible with
her role as an Oxfam Global Ambassador.
Oxfam believes that businesses, such as SodaStream, that operate in settlements, further the ongoing
poverty and denial of rights of the Palestinian communities that we work to support."
For her part, Johansson came out swinging in an interview with the Observer, saying,
"I was aware of that particular factory before I signed.
And it still doesn't seem like a problem, at least not until someone comes up with a
solution to the closing of that factory and leaving all those people destitute."
which is exactly what happened in February 2016 when SodaStream closed the controversial
factory - leaving 500 employees jobless.
​George Clooney for Nespresso
For over a decade George Clooney has been the face of high-brow Swiss coffee brand Nespresso,
a company that manufactures dispensing machines to be used with their coffee pods.
While some of the ads have been mildly amusing at best, most have been irritatingly smug,
or just plain weird.
As ideas dried up, the company tapped special guests, including Jack Black, Ian McShane
and Danny Devito, who joined the silver fox for Nespresso's first-ever US commercial.
"Nespresso?"
"What else?"
"Double.
What else?"
"Why thank you."
But his long relationship with the brand backfired on him in 2016, when, according to the Daily
Mail, the long term cost of convenient coffee was revealed.
Researchers fear that as the popularity of coffee pods rises, the discarded packaging
will end up in landfills, with experts predicting that the plastic and aluminum containers will
take 500 years to break down.
This left Clooney — who is outspoken on global warming and appeared on the very first
'green issue' of Vanity Fair — in a position where he's pocketed millions at the detriment
of the planet.
Talk about selling your soul.
​Jennifer Aniston for Emirates
There's a fine line between parodying your fame and fortune...
"How are my little triplets doing?"
...aaand just straight up rubbing your elite status in the faces of average Joes everywhere.
Jennifer Aniston crossed that line big time with her ad campaign for Dubai-based airline
Emirates.
According to Daily Mail, the Friends star was paid $5 million to become the new brand
ambassador of the luxury international carrier, whose first class ticket for a round trip
from New York to Dubai costs an eye-watering $25,000.
The fact that a rich actress was promoting the jet set lifestyle wasn't necessarily the
problem — it was the way that she did it that shocked and angered viewers.
The ad makes a mockery out of everyone who doesn't shell out $25,000 for tickets, painting
economy class as a hellish experience — because there isn't a lounge or a shower.
"There's no shower?"
"No."
"Ha ha ha ha."
"And you have no lounge?"
"Ha ha ha.
"Why are you laughing like that?"
"Ah you're killing me!"
Well, it turns out that showcasing how much it sucks to be poor wasn't the greatest marketing
strategy in the world.
As one YouTube commenter wrote, "Snobbiest ad ever.
Talk about first world 1%'er problems."
​Nicole Kidman for Etihad Airways
Kidman's ad for United Arab Emirates' state-owned carrier Etihad Airways wasn't quite as in-your-face
about the class-gap when it comes to flying.
But Kidman found herself facing backlash over a different issue: women's rights.
The actress clearly didn't think twice when the super-rich airline came calling with a
blank check, though seeing as she had been a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador for women since
2006, she really ought to have done her research.
"Their goal isn't to improve on what's been done before, but totally re-imagine it."
But as it turned out, the brand could have used some reimagining.
The story caught fire when the Association of Professional Flight Attendants called for
Kidman to step away from the company, claiming that bosses at Etihad have fired female employees
for becoming pregnant.
Their statement read,
"We urge you, on behalf of the women and girls that you spoke of so eloquently [on International
Women's Day], not to play a part in promoting Etihad Airways, a company that imposes abusive
labor practices on its female employees and whose sole owner is a government that stands
against the very world that you imagine."
​Alec Baldwin for Capital One
Alec Baldwin's involvement with Capital One landed him in the hot seat, mainly because
he has always claimed to be such an outspoken critic of corporate greed and champion of
progressive politics.
When Baldwin showed up at the Occupy Wall Street protest in 2011 to show his support
for those fighting for financial equality, he was hounded by members of the grassroots
movement We Are Change, who wouldn't let him cross Manhattan Park without answering a few
questions.
According to Daily Mail, Baldwin refused to publicly endorse Republican congressman Ron
Paul, but he did tell those gathered that the Securities and Exchange Commission are,
quote, "totally in the pockets of the banks," ignoring the irony in the fact that he was
currently sitting comfortably in the deep, velvety pocket of Capital One — which received
$3.5 billion in the Wall Street bailout.
Baldwin was labelled a "hypocrite" and a "limousine liberal" by critics, forcing him to Tweet,
"I donated all of my fee from Capital One 2 arts charities.
They have been gr8 partners in my support of the arts."
"What's in your wallet?"
​Johnny Rotten for Country Life Butter
John Lydon was the poster boy of the punk rock movement during the late 1970s, fronting
the musically and politically influential British band The Sex Pistols under the stage
name Johnny Rotten.
As the years have passed, Lydon's commitment to the punk lifestyle and what his music stood
for has repeatedly come under scrutiny.
Eyebrows were raised when he appeared on the UK version of reality show I'm A Celebrity…
Get Me Out of Here!.
But it was his 2008 ad for Country Life butter was the final nail in his punk cred's coffin.
The commercial features Lydon reeling off several reasons as to why he might like Country
Life butter, before dismissing them all, claiming:
"I buy Country Life because it tastes the best."
The fading star defended the commercial when he spoke to Camden New Journal about the backlash
from fans, asking, "Why are they questioning me?
What manual am I supposed to adopt?
I'm promoting a British product which I'm very proud of."
And speaking of products celebs are into...
​Bob Dylan for Victoria's Secret
As the ultimate counterculture icon, it seems inconceivable that Bob Dylan would ever do
a commercial for anything.
The folk legend has been annoying fans since the day he first switched to electric guitar
back in 1965, but in 2004 he dealt his reputation its biggest blow to date when he inexplicably
appeared in Victoria's Secret's "Angels In Venice" campaign.
"I'm sick of love...
"I wish I'd never met you."
Why a lingerie line would want to intercut shots of their models with a man old enough
to be their grandfather is anybody's guess, but Dylan got two things out of it — a pay
day and some publicity for the memoir he released that year.
As a fan of the man, all you can do is point to the fact that Dylan did actually state
back in '65 that the only thing he would sell out for were ladies undergarments.
Decade-spanning practical joke?
Or shameless cash grab?
You decide.
​Kiefer Sutherland for Jose Cuervo
Kiefer Sutherland is said to have funded his move to LA with some ad work, posing for Levi's
in the 1980s as an unknown.
He has admitted to having a strained relationship with his father, actor Donald Sutherland,
at the time, and sought to make his own way in the industry.
But by the end of that decade everyone in Hollywood knew his name, thanks to The Lost
Boys, and Young Guns.
Two-hundred-plus episodes of 24 later, Sutherland is recognized as one of the industry's most
likable tough guys, an image he doesn't mind parodying for an easy buck.
Computer maker Acer took advantage of this with their Aspire Ultrabook commercial, dressing
him up like his Jack Bauer character and sending him into supermarkets on the hunt for the
ingredients he needs for...cupcakes.
"Where's the icing?"
"Icing?"
"Icing for cupcakes."
"Oh!
It's ah..
Ah.. right over there."
Not bad, right?
But while you can't blame a young actor for posing in a pair of 501 jeans, or even a successful
actor for parodying himself in a fun way, you can blame Kiefer Sutherland for shilling
a product that almost ruined his life on numerous occasions.
His 2013 spot for Jose Cuervo tequila plays up the brand's campaign to always have a story
to tell.
The actor is shown living the high stakes life — in between shots of liquor.
Sutherland has a documented history of alcoholism and public drunkenness, making his decision
to appear in ads for something that so clearly controls his life a total deal with the devil.
But what does he really think about it?
"Just don't have any regrets.
Cuervo."
​Kendall Jenner for Pepsi
Advertisers will often jump on bandwagons in an attempt to make their product seem as
relevant as possible.
But Pepsi admitted that they, quote "missed the mark" with their infamous commercial starring
Keeping Up With The Kardashians kid sis Kendall Jenner.
The ad shows Jenner walking off a photo shoot to join an ongoing street protest, then handing
one lucky officer a cold soda — which, according to Pepsi, was, quote, "[to] project a global
message of unity, peace and understanding."
But not many people saw it that way, with advocacy groups like Color of Change firing
off at Jenner on Twitter.
The reality star has failed to respond to the outrage on social media, though a source
close to her told Hollywood Life, "She had such high hopes for it...And now she's terrified
she will never work again or become a laughing stock."
Pepsi pulled the ad and personally apologized — to Jenner.
That'll probably be the last time she endorses any brands for a while — oh wait — there's
Estee Lauder:
"You've got enough goin on."
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