What advertisers & marketers need to learn from Elizabeth Taylor!

Homage to the 'Cleopatra' of advertising who bid adieu to the world at the age of 79 on 23^rd March.

Neha S | Delhi | March 28, 2011

She might be best remembered for her role in 'Cleopetra', clad in shiny trinkets of gold, with an urging bold eyebrow, dropping symmetrical wig and a peeping cleavage, but Elizabeth Taylor has a larger than life role to play in advertising and marketing. The iconic 40s-60s actress, bid adieu to the world at the age of 79 on 23^rd March, 2011, due to a congestive heart failure, personified glamour in 'Hollywood' style and sex appeal in true 'Monroe' manner.  Her luscious face and violet eyes, not only emblazoned the print ads in way back in 40's for brands like Max Factor, Whitman's chocolate and ArtCarved diamonds, but also started off- the trend of what we know as 'perfume advertising' or 'private label of fragrance'.

Today Lady GaGa whiff of blood and serum is a much talked about, but the original lady that started off this fad with her exquisite  smell bottled in an ornamented  packaging- "Passion," "White Diamonds" and "Black Pearls", noted the mark of an era of new form of celebrity advertising. So much so that her 'White Diamonds' is touted as the best-selling perfume brand of any celebrity till date and have left marketers to learn a lesson in every management class.

Her staid face on the poster of a cosmetics brand with three colors of the lip-shades, in an illuminated background, set the trend for the print posters featuring pretty faces. Even the good'ol starry Lux beauty soap and Lustre-Creme Shampoo endorsed by glitterati's of the big screen was also pushed by her in a big way. Little wonder, that the "White Diamonds" TV commercial shot by her in 1991 still airs on Television.

One thing that lured the brands and companies to sign her as their face was her exuberance that exuded in her personality.  A testimony to the fact is her all dare bare act in a bikini in form of a public appearance at her home in Beverly Hills, in 1970's that set the critics ask for more. Undoubtedly, her entrepreneurial bent (largely in perfumes and costume jewellery) has made her worth $1B today, but it has surely given the way we look at celeb advertising. The only difference being that Mrs. Taylor then endorsed chocolates and beauty products and now celebs tag their names to almost anything- Be it chawaynprash, vests, mobile phones, or cola bottles!

The industry fondly remembers Elizabeth, not only as a pristine beauty and the pretty face of many memorable campaigns and movies but also for her poignant life!

Neha@BestMediaInfo.com

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