Star Power

Entertainment and alternative sports icons are the hottest clothing and footwear endorsers around. Though some fear that a consumer backlash is brewing, one thing's for sure: We've come a long way from the Marlboro Man.
In the activewear industry, marketing moguls are adding a new twist to the classic celebrity-endorsement tactic, as entertainment icons and alternative sport celebs are attaching their names to clothing labels. By the looks of magazine and television ads, young consumers would rather see Rakim (platinum record-selling rap artist) than Rodman (platinum hair-dying PR hound) sport their next apparel purchase. The trick is to choose an endorsee on the cutting-edge of pop culture who doesn't risk falling into an abyss of mainstream popularity.
This month, the SGB Sportscast Advisory Council discussed these new figureheads of apparel, the products they back, and the attitudes of a consumer that can make or break their careers. With Columbus-like impact on popular culture, today's youth need to feel they've discovered the new world of cool-a world in which sports are extreme, talent is identifiable, and clothing says, "notice me...but not too much."
While DJs, musicians, and sports stars find that product placements and advertisements help propel their careers forward, they also complain that advertisers exploit artistic merit-both individually and industry-wide. But their tears are futile and few. After all, as powerful as an image or endorsement may be, both manufacturers and celebrities realize that they are ultimately at the mercy of a much stronger force: the capricious consumer that has declared all predecessors passe.
Status Symbol
The music world has rocked the apparel industry with a string of endorsers. Because popularity ebbs and flows with Billboard charts, however, marketers are bracing themselves for a backlash.
Erin: Goldie-a major jungle DJ from London-started the whole revolution by signing a deal with DC shoes when they began their sneaker line.
Ken: DC has always sponsored more musicians than athletes.
Erin: Did you see that Candie's dumped Jenny McCarthy and signed on a new group of musicians? When pitching one of our clients with the same idea, we wanted to put musicians and DJs in our client's clothes to appeal to that 14- to 22-year-old demographic.
Elena: Do you think there will be a backlash to all this marketing with entertainment stars and alternative athletes? I'm scared that the actual alternative and cutting-edge kids who do the alternative sports and listen to the music aren't going to think it's cool to wear something that's endorsed by a peer.
Ken: For the last year, there's been one signature sneaker coming out every month in the alternative sports scene. It seems that in order to be considered authentic, you have to have an athlete's name attached to it.
Elena: There is a backlash to too many endorsees in the hip-hop community; they're becoming more selective about the products to which their name is attached. A lot of artists will not go with a designer he doesn't consider an artist himself. Many work with those who share an interest in the same musical genre or are of the same ethnic persuasion. They're feeling a little exploited. It's the smaller categories and smaller stars that are interested in signing-on-not the Michael Jordans of the world, not the people who can have multi-million dollar ad campaigns.
Erin: Like with anything, there are two circles of consumers here. There are those who love the endorsees and will buy their product. A lot of people don't know DC shoes because that's for one segment of the market, but if you want to tap into the whole fantasy MTV or Vans scenario-which is a bit more mainstream-then you'll buy into the endorsed product. But the really hard-core guys? They won't give it a second thought.
Their Own Kind
Young consumers identify with their peers, which can often elevate their athletic contemporaries to stardom. With strong purchasing power, these kids are ready to spend a lot of money-but only on products that support their athletic, social, and/or artistic causes.
Joe: I was talking to a guy in the gym the other day who's a die-hard boarder. He's about 24. He was talking to me about this pro boarder, and he said that this guy just signed-on to have his name associated with a line of footwear.
Abby: There's a new crop of skateboard kids who wear t-shirts with celebrity endorsers on it instead of big logos, so I don't think that over-marketing will effect any trends. As long as kids know their group will wear it-maybe it's one of their friends, and now he's a t-shirt celebrity-they'll wear it too. I think that as long as we give the skate kids a chance to show us something about their art and their interests, they'll think it's cool.
Joe: These kids aren't stupid. They understand what they're spending $50 for. Marketing will continue to be a major part of apparel popularity, but kids are going to understand truthful marketing and know who is trying to take advantage of them. Many think, 'I'll give money to the person that supports my interests.'
Jill: Kids really want to have a say in what they're buying and what's being designed for and marketed to them. It helps when athletes are involved in the design and marketing of the product. It gives it authenticity; it goes back to the idea of advertisers being truthful.