I’m frequently asked if there is an ideal time to try and place product with a celebrity? There is no better time than the “Award Show Season” that takes place from September until February and ends with the “Super Bowl” of Award Shows, The Academy Awards.
Hollywood has red, purple and green carpet events every week-end, so the opportunities to match your product with a celebrity are endless. In my opinion, The Toronto Film Festival kicks off this season and is a great opening to build a relationship with celebrities and their support team of publicists and stylists. This key group of people will start working non-stop to put together a strategy with celebrity clients in the coming months to plan how to promote themselves and the films that will be in contention for an Oscar.
That’s what I did with Helen Mirren for fashion designer, Georges Chakra. We wanted to entice Ms. Mirren to try his gown, which she later ended up wearing to The Academy Awards. Helen was working with fellow Brit stylist George Bloodwell months before she had even committed to attend the Oscars. After a successful photo shoot together, I asked George what “Dame” Helen Mirren preferred in fashion? Any stylist close to their client will be able to tick off those answers easily! In this case, Mr. Chakra got started right away sketching designs using all the hints George could provide. The end result? Helen wore Georges Chakra’s gown for the red-hot Oscar carpet lined with photographers from all over the world.
If you are looking to dip your toe into celebrity product placement, now is the time to prepare. Look at the films, the film festivals and the stars in current movies hitting the big screen. Which ones might be nominated for “Best Movie” or “Best Actor”?
What should be your first step? This is the part where I mention my book “Will Work for Shoes”! The book gives away all the secrets you’ll need to make it happen! Here are my top 3 suggestions:
Make a target list of celebrities that are a match for your brand
Every brand, business or company I’ve ever worked with has a sense of which celebrities might be a perfect “fit” for their brand. Their list always includes predictable “A list” celebrities. However, I encourage you to add celebrity names who might be 1,2 films away from stardom. I suggest trying supporting actor’s names from top films and hit TV shows because they are in the cast which means they will attend red carpet events to support the film or show.
Is your business ready? Do you have a website? Do you have ecommerce or retail outlets?
Why start reaching out to celebrities if you haven’t prepared to market your product? Brands just building momentum would love to see a celebrity help promote their business. Make sure your website, social media and retail outlet is ready.
Persistence pays off
Be persistent! Celebrities are busy folks who work long days, they may not get your information right away. Keep in mind there is a difference between persistence and stalking!
