Not All Publicity is a Good Thing

Public relations is a great profession for anyone in the entertainment industry especially today. Now more than ever entertainers need a publicist to protect them and properly introduce them and keep them relevant in the media. Today it is easier to enter the entertainment industry than in previous years. Public relations is continuing to rise and is one of the only professions that is increasing with employment.  There are times where an entertainer needs a publicist to protect them especially with false endorsements. More entertainers are endorsing products today, and it seems that anytime you turn on the television or turn the page of a magazine you see an entertainer telling you why you should purchase this product. Sometimes, companies will give a false impression that an entertainer is endorsing their product which at times damages their  public persona. Here are three major false endorsements that has happen in recent years. 

Michael Jordan vs. Dominick’s Finer Foods & Osco Jewel Food Stores

Back in 2009, Sports Illustrated honored Michael Jordan in a commemorative issue titled Jordan: Celebrating A Hall of Fame Career. The issue was distributed nationwide. Inside the magazine, included a full page Jewel Osco and Dominick’s Finer Foods page that were originated to honor him as a legend  and his contribution to the sport of basketball. Both pages seemed innocent but taking a closer look it seemed that Michael Jordan endorsed both places in Chicago. When Michael Jordan found out about  both tributes he was upset because he felt that it was damaging his overall public persona. Michael Jordan proceeded to sue both stores for $10 million dollars in damages citing; false endorsements, consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices and unfair competition. The US District Judge Gary Feinerman found it to be a tribute to the legend and stated both stores were just exercising their right of freedom of speech. 

Kim Kardashian vs. Old Navy (The Gap)

Just recently, over the summer there were commercial ads that ran promoting old navy clothes that featured a woman who looked like an identical Kim Kardashian. The woman who was featured in the commercial is upcoming actress Melissa Molinaro. The commercial was broadcasted on numerous networks and estimated a total reach about 2 million people. Of course, Kim Kardashian caught whim of this and was furious and pursued the clothing company for $20 million dollars in damages. Kim is claiming that the commercials tarnished her image and reputation which is a vital part of her career. Once Kim Kardashian publicly complained about the commercials, Old Navy responded and removed them from the broadcasts. She was not satisfied with just the removal and wants to make sure the clothing giant does not repeat this mistake again. Sadly, the court date is set for April 23,2013 with federal judge Dale S. Fisher. It will be interesting to see what happens in this case and what the judge sees fit. Old Navy is claiming that Kim’s accusations are false because her image and reputation was already tarnished before the commercial even aired. Personally, I hope they have more weapons than just that because they are taking on the the Kardashian family and they are going to need it. 

Curtis James Jackson III vs. Taco Bell (Yum! Brands)

Back in 2008, Taco Bell wanted to spread the word on their “79 cent, 89 cent, and 99 cent” menu but did not want to pay the costs for the publicity and marketing. So they thought that having rapper 50 cent tied in with the company would be a great fit because of his name.They released a letter that was addressed to Jackson to all news outlets around the country, but didn’t send the letter to him first. Inside the letter, they stated that if he would agree to the terms of the contract then they would give him $10,000 dollars to the charity of his choice. This lead consumers to believe that the rapper was a “sell out” and he was a paid endorser of Taco Bell. Curtis Jackson took the food giant to court and sued them in $4 million dollars in damages for using his name and trademark without his authorization to promote their food. Curtis Jackson and his lawyer claimed that Taco Bell not only used his name and image without his permission but enjoyed all the benefits of his mega star publicity without having to pay for the benefits. The case was settled but the terms of the deal were kept confidential but it is defiantly clear to see that Taco Bell were at fault. 

As you can see false endorsements can be very costly to the business and the entertainer. Hopefully more companies will take the necessary and appropriate steps in signing an entertainer as an endorser for their products or services.

-Sara