Kanye West, Adidas, and the use of "celebrity"

Ah, Kanye West puts his foot in his mouth…..again.  In an interview with TMZ earlier this week West said, “When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice.”  Yowza.  Needless to say, his comments lit up the Internet.  There was even an online petition for Adidas – the brand that works closely with him – to drop him completely.  Frankly, this isn’t the first stupid thing he’s said, and I’m quite certain it won’t be the last.  Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted didn’t have much to say about the situation, only stating he wouldn’t comment on the comments the brand’s “external creators” make on a daily basis. 

In my career, I’ve been faced with these situations many times.  My teams have worked with Alec Baldwin on Capital One for example.  I’m sure you’ve seen and heard some missteps Baldwin has made along the way.  We also had some “challenges” with a voice actor for GEICO for insulting FreedomWorks and Tea Partiers. 

Having worked with so many great brands over the years, the use of “celebrity” comes up all the time – especially for our larger partners that can afford it. Whether it’s the use of music or a spokesperson themselves, it’s a discussionthat shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Remember, you’re handing your brand over to a variable.  In these days of heightened sensitivity, one mistake, or even a perceivedmistake can bleed all over your good name and legacy.  How many jokes are you seeing online about Bill Cosby and Coke or Jello Pudding? Even though he hasn’t worked with those bands for years, they are now forced to do damage control long after those advertising initiatives. 

Here are a few thoughts on rules of the road when utilizing a celebrity in your advertising initiatives.  

1.   Do your homework.  Thank God for the Internet – you can easily look up just about anything on anyone -particularly someone famous.  Do they have a history of controversy?  Do the risk/reward math to determine how much of a variable this person is.  My friend Jamal Mashburn always says, “if you give someone the time, they’ll show you who they are”.  

2.   Always have a contingency plan.  I look at a company’s digital footprint as the board game of Risk by Hasbro. Remember that game?  You set up your armies around the planet for world dominance.  Make sure you have all of your assets in place ie Twitter, Facebook, your URL etc. This will ensure that you can quickly react to anything bad that happens.  It will also give you some control on repressing any online negativity around your brand.

3.   Most importantly, make it a transparent discussion between all involved parties.  You, your attorneys and your agency partners should discuss and document these discussions to make sure you’re all on the same page.  Making sure that the celebrity you choose has the same core values as your brand will go a long way to keep your brand healthy and the public on your side.

-Jonathan Sackett, President and CCO of allscope.  Former collegiate sprinter and rapper…no kidding!