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'Viewers have a way of remembering the celebrity while forgetting the product. I did not know this when I paid Eleanor Roosevelt $35,000 to make a commercial for margarine. She reported that her mail was equally divided. 'One half was sad because I had damaged my reputation. The other half was happy because I had damaged my reputation.' Not one of my proudest memories.'

David Ogilvy#4

AdvertisingCelebrityReputationRisk

About this quote

What does it mean?
Using celebrities can overshadow the product and damage reputations.
In plain terms
Famous people might distract from the product and upset the audience.
What can you take from it?
Be cautious with celebrity endorsements to avoid distraction.

Where it applies

  • commercial production
  • brand partnerships
  • marketing strategy

Putting it to work

  • test endorsements
  • align values
  • monitor feedback

Questions to consider

  • When does a celebrity help or hurt?
  • How do you balance fame and product?

Another view

Some celebrity campaigns succeed when the star aligns perfectly with the brand.

More from David Ogilvy

  1. 'Always hold your sales meetings in rooms too small for the audience, even if it means holding them in the WC. 'Standing room only' creates an atmosphere of su…

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  2. 'When someone is made the head of an office in the Ogilvy & Mather chain, I send him a Matrioshka doll from Gorky. If he has the curiosity to open it, and keep…

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  3. '... there are now unmistakeable signs of a trend in favor of superior products at premium prices. The consumer is not a moron, she is your wife.'

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