Celebrity Leverage >>

Stephen King on Celebrity Book Endorsements

In my Celebrity Book Endorsements Toolkit, I teach writers exactly how to approach celebrities to ask for book endorsements (this assumes, of course, that you've written a book).

This weekend, Stephen King's column in Entertainment Weekly caught my eye, because it's aptly titled "Fast Blurb Nation."

"I've only blurbed three or four movies in my time, but I've lent my name to perhaps a hundred books.

The first one, I admit, wasn't very good (in fact, it was pretty terrible), but that was over 30 years ago and I was flattered out of my socks just to be asked.

Since then, I've done it only for books I honestly loved, and for a very simple reason. Early on, nobody blurbed any of mine.

"Carrie," "Salem's Lot," and "The Shining" were published before the art of blurbing had been perfected.

In the old days, children, the back cover of novels was usually reserved for a black and white photograph of the author (often holding a cigarette and trying to look cosmopolitan). Nowadays, the back cover tends to be Blurb City.

"And really, maybe that's not so bad. Young writers and filmmakers need a hand up, because it's a hard world out there.

That alone doesn't justify a blurb, but in in most cases, good work does. It isn't just about the artist, either.

A blurb is sometimes a better way to point people toward the good stuff than a 2500-word review. It's certainly more direct."

So if you've written a book or are in the process of writing one, ask Stephen King for blurb. If he likes your book, you may just get one!

Nicollette Sheridan Shows Skin for London Fog

Nicollette Sheridan isn't afraid to bare her butt for kids with cancer in a racy new ad campaign for London Fog.

Sheridan poses in the ad with Michael Bolton, which helps raise awareness for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children with cancer and other serious illnesses.

David Factor shot the ad which will appear in April issues of various magazines.

The two were recently engaged, but tabloids have reported that their engagement is on the rocks.

Judging from this ad, it doesn't look like it!

More Nicollette Sheridan Shows Skin for London Fog:

• London Fog Unveils New Charity Campaign (Yahoo! Finance)

Oprah's Big Endorsement: New Earth Teleseminar

Oprah's live teleseminar book endorsement last night on Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" ran a little short... on bandwidth.

But who can blame her? She had 500,000 people on the call!

Most marketers would freak out if over 1,000 people called in, even using services like Xiosoft's Instant Teleseminar that let's you conduct a phone teleconference with a 2,000 line Webcast.

Here's what O had to say:

"Harpo Productions, Inc., Move Networks and Limelight Networks recognize that interactive Internet broadcasting to a mass audience is still an emerging medium, and we’re proud to have been pioneers in pushing the industry forward. We deeply regret that some of our audience did not have an optimal viewing experience and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. The first session of the webinar will be available in its entirety for viewing on Oprah.com or for downloading as a podcast on Oprah.com or iTunes (later today)."

The problem didn't stop "A New Earth" from staying at #1 on Amazon!

And according to Publishers Weekly, "The book holds the record for the most copies ever shipped by Putnam USA in a four-week period -- a total of 3.45 million."

Dr. Dre Joins Drinks Americas' Celebrity Lineup

Dr. Dre has joined forces with Paul Newman, Willie Nelson, and Donald Trump to help market a cognac and sparkling vodka for Drinks Americas.

Drinks Americas' other celebrity drinks include Paul Newman's Own Lightly Sparkling Fruit Juice, Willie Nelson Old Whiskey River Bourbon, and Trump Vodka.

He says:

“I’m always down for a new challenge. When Drinks Americas approached me about going into business with them, I knew there was a lot of competition out there but it was the same way when I started doing music. I’m going to put the best product out there, because that’s what I do.”

They say:

"Unlike hiring a celebrity to help grow an existing brand, Dr. Dre is an equity owner of the brands and will be involved as our partner at every stage of the process. We expect Dre's foray into the beverage business to rival the magnitude of his success in the music business. Building volume with these products will take time, but the instantly recognizable branding, coupled with superior quality products, and Dre’s partnership start us with a competitive advantage, and a corresponding boost in value to our shareholders."

More Dr. Dre Joins Drinks Americas' Celebrity Lineup:

• Music Superstar/Entrepreneur Dr. Dre Partners With Drinks Americas to Launch Beverage Joint Venture (Yahoo! Finance)

David Beckham Endorses GO3 Omega-3 Fish Oil

International soccer star David Beckham has just signed on to endorse GO3's Omega-3 fish oil.

He says:

"Playing soccer since I was a young boy has taught me that good nutrition and a balanced diet is important to remaining healthy and fit. I'm teaming up with GO3 to let adults and children know there's an easy and simple way to include Omega-3 oils into their daily life."

They say:

"David Beckham is an ideal partner and healthy lifestyle role model and we look forward to GO3 Omega-3 fish oil supplements making a positive impact on American consumers of all ages."

More David Beckham Endorses GO3 Omega-3 Fish Oil:

• GO3 Launches Line of Health-Focused Products with Partner David Beckham

Jamie Lee Curtis Endorses Dannon Activa Yogurt

Jamie Lee Curtis has just signed on to endorse Dannon's Activa yogurt to promote good digestive health (along with the yogurt, of course).

She says:

"Digestive problems are important and surprisingly common but we don't discuss them.  Whereas we routinely talk about other uncomfortable topics, such as erectile dysfunction, digestive health is not being addressed -- and it's time to change that. I am not afraid to talk about bowel issues -- there I said it -- and I'm very committed to help people find solutions, like a balanced diet and Activia. It is rewarding to be the ice breaker who speaks openly about digestive health and irregularity, and make it easier for people to find a solution."

They say:

"Jamie Lee Curtis is the ideal partner for Activia to help more Americans talk about and take control of their digestive health. Curtis' charismatic personality and integrity will inspire Americans to overcome their reluctance to talk about and hesitance to treat their occasional irregularity."

More Jamie Lee Curtis Dannon Activa Endorsement:

• Dannon Activa Launches Thought-Provoking Advertising Campaign Featuring Jamie Lee Curtis (Forbes)

Why Consumers Believe Celebrity Endorsements

I just finished reading Pat O'Bryan's new book, "Your Portable Empire" about how to make money anywhere while doing what you love.

In it, Pat has an interesting perspective on celebrity endorsements:

"When you see an athlete promoting an automobile, you're seeing a psychological principle in operation.

"In your mind, you may already have a relationship with the athlete.

"If he tells you to buy a certain automobile, he sets up a quandry for you:

"To retain your relationship with the athlete, you have to believe what he says.

"If you use your critical thinking ability to question what he's saying, you run the risk of losing your relationship with the athlete -- and you value that relationship."

Jack Nicholson's Hillary Clinton Endorsement

A few weeks ago, Hilary Clinton was using America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) to show up at events to draw the attention of young female viewers (a smart usage since America Ferrera in real life and her on-screen character Betty Hernandez are both smart, hard-working, political-minded women.

With this new YouTube video, Hillary is trying to influence your average heterosexual, conservative man who views Jack Nicholson as a figure of power, strength, and influence so he can rationalize voting for Hilary.

While that demographic may be reluctant to vote for Hilary because she's a woman, her camp is hoping this video will help them rationalize it in their head, voting for Jack Nicholson "vicariously" through her.

I think the goal is too obvious and will look corny to a lot people. What do you think?

Oprah's Favorite Things

When Oprah airs her "Favorite Things" episodes, it may come as no surprise to savvy marketers that companies line up to submit their products to be on her show.

But the average housewife sitting at home "putting the turkey in the oven" as Oprah likes to say, sees those products as Oprah's personal favorites.

Granted, some of them might be.

But the payoff of Oprah recommending and saying that she just loves those products is  a whole more more than the company would have spend on a commercial during the show

And don't even get me started on the one-hour commercial for Pontiac when the Queen of Talk gave away a G6 car to every member of her audience!

The Power of Celebrity Endorsements

Everyone knows that celebrities live in the largest houses, drive the fastest cards, eat in the finest restaurants, wear the latest fashion designs, and play with the latest gadgets.

So it's no surprise that when Oprah says, "I love these sheets!" or when Hilary Duff is photographed wearing a shirt that says "Pop Princess," we feel that since they like that product, we'll like it also.

Madonna says she practices Kabbalah, and the next thing you know, there are countless Kabbalah products -- everything from Kabbalah candles to Kabbalah books to Kabbalah accessories popping up everywhere from Target to Whole Foods.

And when she's photographed drinking Volvic water, we want to drink Volvic water too so we can look as good as she does!