Brad Pitt Raises a Glass to Heineken

Brad Pitt becomes the latest movie star to appear in U.S. commercials - this one for Heineken. Helmed by David Fincher, the man who directed him in the movies Fight Club and Se7en, the ad shows Pitt buying a six-pack of beer and then, chased by 60 paparazzi, pursued through the streets of Los Angeles. Celebrity expert and Fame Index® publisher, Jonathan Holiff, said "just as the barriers between film and television work are disappearing, so too is the stigma associated with A-listers doing commercials stateside." Though not shown in the U.S., other top stars have appeared in alcohol ads, including George Clooney and Gwyneth Paltrow for Martini and Sean Connery for Dewars scotch. Heineken has also worked with Jay-Z, Craig David, Ray Liotta and Pitt-relation, Jennifer Aniston. We'll take an in-depth look at this trend - movie stars in U.S. commercials - in the next issue of The Fame Index® Bi-Monthly.


Versace Campaign Set to Break in February

According to US Weekly, Madonna earned $10.5 million to pose for the spring campaign from Versace. Shooter Mario Testino photographed the diva at a suburban London studio on November 25th. He was also responsible for her 1995 effort for the brand. Speaking to the Italian news agency, TB2, Donatella Versace explained why Madonna was chosen for the effort. "She is a family friend, an extraordinary woman, a pop-star who has re-invented herself for more than 20 years," said Versace. They must be close pals: Madonna also gets access to the Versace mansion in Milan and all the clothes she wants for the next two years. The deal dwarfs others in the space. Uma Thurman joins Louis Vuitton this year in what is described as a "multi-million pound" deal. Thurman replaces youngster Scarlett Johansson who was reportedly paid $500K for her Fall 2004 work for the Paris fashion house.
 

Infomercial Celebrities back in Force in '04

Celebrity-driven direct-response efforts were bigger than ever in 2004. And, it's no wonder. Valued for their "channel-stopping" capabilities, celebrities have been linked with winning campaigns. According to an analysis of the Jordan Whitney 50 best performing long-form DRTV shows reported by Response magazine, 43 percent of the top 50 shows (2000 through 2002) featured a celebrity pitch-person. Industry power-house, Guthy-Renker continues to lead the industry with this strategy, but Salton Inc. came on strong in 2004. In addition to knock-out pitchman, George Foreman, the Lake Forest, Ill.-based company aired shows featuring English comedian John Cleese (Westinghouse Unplugged vacuum) and "Entertainment Tonight" host, Julie Moran (Melitta One:One coffeemaker). Mr. Foreman was also signed by startup Knockout Group to plug a new line of household cleaning products. A 30-minute show featuring the ex-boxer from Hawthorne Direct debuted in June.

More Star-Turns from 2004

Cosmetic-maker, Simon Solutions of Paris, signed Baywatch's Pamela Anderson (AdSouth and Manhatten Media handle U.S. marketing); singer Carnie Wilson appeared in ads designed to hook fat people up with a local gastric bypass surgeon; actress Dixie Carter appealed on behalf of the Salvation Army in spots created by Bennett Kuhn Varner, Inc.; and, Moulton Logistics Management announced that Instone - maker of the diet and energy products from Sylvester Stallone - will fulfill orders for their LifeChange Sample Kit. The package includes a motivational DVD featuring the actor. And more celebrities than ever made the rounds at QVC, including America's favorite ditz, Jessica Simpson.
 

Kirstie Alley says Cheers to Jenny Craig

Kirstie Alley stars in a new campaign for weight-loss company Jenny Craig Inc. The former Cheers star appears in TV commercials about her weight-loss journey with the Jenny Craig program. The campaign, produced by J. Walter Thompson New York, also features Internet and in-store materials. This has been a difficult year for endorsers of weight-loss products: Slim-Fast suspended a campaign featuring Whoopi Goldberg after the actress made disparaging remarks about George Bush and a weight-loss "challenge" - sponsored by Lindora and the show, Extra - featuring Ruben Studdard, was interrupted when the American Idol-winner developed unrelated health problems. Jenny Craig spent much of 2004 looking for a successor to The View's Joy Behar before offering Alley, and 10 of her friends, the chance to participate in the program. Ms. Alley, who currently stars in Showtime's Fat Actress, most recently did national ads for Pier 1.