Corporate Celebrities Cash In On Expanding Their Brand
Nicole Asher / Editor
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: Inside Beat
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Remember the days of aspiring to be an actor/model/dancer? No, that's not enough today. It just doesn't make the cut. A person needs a clothing line, a fragrance, body lotion and maybe another clothing line. It all started with the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake, Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen. The forerunners of the artists -as -a-brand trend have only gotten the ball rolling on this rapidly expanding idea. Jessica Simpson, for instance, is not only a pop princess but has a shoes/accessories line as well as a fragrance and body lotion brand. Justin Timberlake is a star whose talents include singing, acting, dancing - he also has a clothing line, William Rast.
This was years ago, though. However, it's a trend that's still proving to be as strong as more stars are testing the waters of enjoying multi-faceted careers. Take Ashley Tisdale for example, one of the stars of the High School Musical series - not only acted in the musical movies, but she came out with a solo album this year called Headstrong. (As if Hillary Duff making albums doesn't put enough petite blonds in the singing biz - and don't forget her clothing line "Stuff by Hillary Duff"). Another celeb making waves as a musical artist is "The Hills'" very own Heidi Montag. Her debut single, "Body Language" leaked on Ryan Seacrest's radio show - something Montag is not happy about. Nevertheless, the reality star's attempts at the music industry are nothing short of predictable and robotic. She too has hopped on the bandwagon of recording an album - an unfortunate epidemic of young stars recently.
Tennis star Serena Williams launched a clothing line with Puma and Nike and now has her own designer line, Aneres, as well. Black Eyed Peas singer and solo artist Fergie a.k.a Stacey Ferguson designed a line of bags for Kipling, making her a celeb-turned-businesswoman too.
It seems as if being a young celebrity in Hollywood doesn't have the same value as it did when Hollywood was full of old-school glamour. The sheer talent of being able to act in a film was regarded highly. Now that Hollywood has expanded to include so many celebrities, and the talent might just be slightly lacking, celebs have to build their name as a brand to stay afloat in the rocky currents of Hollywood.
It's looking bleak for those who are entering the realm of just acting or just singing. They'll be upstaged for sure by another Hillary Duff or Ashley Tisdale. There's a new type of stardom now - which includes a lot more than one profession. One also needs to be a clothing designer, a recording artist, and have experience in creating perfumes. Talk about making it harder to break into the biz now.
This was years ago, though. However, it's a trend that's still proving to be as strong as more stars are testing the waters of enjoying multi-faceted careers. Take Ashley Tisdale for example, one of the stars of the High School Musical series - not only acted in the musical movies, but she came out with a solo album this year called Headstrong. (As if Hillary Duff making albums doesn't put enough petite blonds in the singing biz - and don't forget her clothing line "Stuff by Hillary Duff"). Another celeb making waves as a musical artist is "The Hills'" very own Heidi Montag. Her debut single, "Body Language" leaked on Ryan Seacrest's radio show - something Montag is not happy about. Nevertheless, the reality star's attempts at the music industry are nothing short of predictable and robotic. She too has hopped on the bandwagon of recording an album - an unfortunate epidemic of young stars recently.
Tennis star Serena Williams launched a clothing line with Puma and Nike and now has her own designer line, Aneres, as well. Black Eyed Peas singer and solo artist Fergie a.k.a Stacey Ferguson designed a line of bags for Kipling, making her a celeb-turned-businesswoman too.
It seems as if being a young celebrity in Hollywood doesn't have the same value as it did when Hollywood was full of old-school glamour. The sheer talent of being able to act in a film was regarded highly. Now that Hollywood has expanded to include so many celebrities, and the talent might just be slightly lacking, celebs have to build their name as a brand to stay afloat in the rocky currents of Hollywood.
It's looking bleak for those who are entering the realm of just acting or just singing. They'll be upstaged for sure by another Hillary Duff or Ashley Tisdale. There's a new type of stardom now - which includes a lot more than one profession. One also needs to be a clothing designer, a recording artist, and have experience in creating perfumes. Talk about making it harder to break into the biz now.