GeekSugar

Celebrity Gadget Endorsements: Top 10

GeekSugar — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 06:00:53 -0700

Despite studies that say consumers aren't swayed by celebrity endorsements, celebrity-driven gadget ad campaigns are at an all time high.

Whether celebrity gadget sightings are unintentional (take for instance Alicia Keys playing with her Samsung Camcorder at a Knicks game, or Lauren Conrad taking her BlackBerry with her everywhere), others are very intentional and well paid for. The reemergence of HP's The Computer is Personal Again staring Serena Williams got me thinking about the top celebrity gadget endorsements of the last couple of years and why companies continue to use famous names and faces to rep their products.

I've picked a selection of 10 campaigns that made me stop, rewind and pay attention, even if I didn't end up buying any of the items. (How cute was Little Miss Sunshine star Abigail Breslin - seen at right - in her HP printer commercial where she talks about moments in her life captured with pictures?!) Scroll through the widget below to see my picks.

To check out the actual ads, read more

Maria Sharapova for Canon
I knew who Sharapova was before the Canon ads, but the clever smiley-faced tennis ball gimmick was the first thing she did that got my attention.

Shakira for Panasonic
Her hips don't lie, so she must not either, right? Shakira's Panasonic ads are as beautiful and mesmerizing as she is. The company gets bonus points for letting Shakira show off her dance moves and music and not just their cameras.

David Beckham for Motorola
We give David Beckham a hard time for his questionable gadget accessory style, but his ads for the RAZR2 and MotoRAZR are all chic. Becks just does print ads in the US for Motorola, but this behind the scenes of him on a European Motorola set is worth sharing.

Vera Wang for HP
Designer Vera Wang was the first woman to take part in HP's The Computer Is Personal Again campaign and her ad is whimsical and romantic as her designs.

Jay-Z for HP
Hip hop mogul and entrepreneur Jay-Z exudes cool so it was no surprise HP picked him as well for the The Computer Is Personal Again campaign. I love that the ad shows his resume. Like he needs one.

Shakira image courtesy of Shakira Gallery.

Play Our Guess the Celeb Gadget Endorser Quiz!

GeekSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:30:49 -0700

Celebrities and the latest and greatest gadgets go hand in hand. When John Mayer isn't getting his hands on Apple and BlackBerry products before everyone else, you can find Paris Hilton picking up a new MacBook Air or The Hills ladies upgrading their BB Pearls to Curves. It's no surprise that big name companies like Nintendo and HP have jumped on the stardom train by hiring certain celebs to help sell their products in various ad campaigns. Take our quiz below to see if you can recall some of the famous male and female celeb gadget endorsers!

Question 1 of 7

Guess which famous female signed-on with Samsung in early 2007 to participate in commercials, advertisements, global concert tours, and eventually came out with her very own Samsung cell phone?

Pharrell Williams: "I'm a PC, Just Like B.G."

GeekSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:04:08 -0700

Microsoft did something right picking Pharrell Williams to declare that he's a PC in their new "I'm a PC" ad campaign; there's not many celebrities that are as effortlessly hip as him (he'll be joining my Top 10 gadget endorsers), surely helping turn the company's staid image on its head. Check out this outtakes and interview video of Mr. Pharrell from the ads, talking about his love of music and getting geeky over energy, molecules, and technology.

There are some great little non-PC tidbits as well - did you know what N.E.R.D. stood for? Crazy!

Maria Sharapova Teams Up With Sony Ericsson

GeekSugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:01:12 -0800

Twenty-one year old tennis star Maria Sharapova not only endorses Canon PowerShot cameras, but she's recently signed on with Sony Ericsson as its "first global brand ambassador." According to Crave, Sharapova will be working with the Japanese-Swedish company's designers on a range of products and accessories. Right now, Sharapova is promoting the Sony Ericsson W350i, which she is posing with here. The W350i is a sleek slide phone that comes with a walkman player, a 1.3-megapixel camera and internet/email functionality. Stay tuned for purchasing info.
Source

Gwen Stefani Gets 'Dolled Up' For Hewlett-Packard

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 03:30:49 -0700

She's no Hollaback girl, but Gwen Stefani has teamed up with Hewlett-Packard to launch the consumer-facing portion of the company's $300 million global marketing campaign. According to The Utility Belt, HP is hoping to encourage people to experiment with demanding print jobs at home and at work and is using little Miss Stefani's face and style to promote the campaign. In doing so, consumers will be able to add photos to Gwen's Sweet Escape tour shots to create their very own album. Gwen will also be showcasing Harajuku Lovers paper dolls that can be customized online and printed at home. HP's new logo for these designs inspired by Gwen will be called "Gwen Stefani for you." Usually I'd think a Gwen Stefani/Printer endorsement might not make sense, but I love how HP has used printing as the medium to so many other great projects!

Heartbeats In-Ear Headphones by Lady Gaga

GeekSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:43:23 -0700

Singer and songwriter Lady Gaga - the queen of constant transformation with all of her outrageous outfits and intricate head accessories - has teamed up with Monster to debut her first pair of earphones.

Labeled "heartbeats," these in-ear headphones were designed by Lady Gaga herself and are said to be like no other headphones out there (not hard to believe, especially since they have her name attached to them!). And if the sound quality is anything comparable to the high-class Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, you're guaranteed to get your money's worth. They also feature ControlTalk functionality so you can listen to your music and easily answer a phone call while on the go.

These headphones will be hitting store shelves this October, although you can pre-order a pair in black, red, and bright chrome from Best Buy for $100.

View 5 Photos ›

Rachel Zoe Uses Bing to Find a Purse-Friendly Digital Cam

GeekSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:33:04 -0700

Yesterday I posted two videos that featured Rachel Zoe in not only one, but two Microsoft Bing commercials. Today, I've got two more - this time Rachel is getting her Bing on with her assistants, Taylor and Marisa, as she tries to find a small camera and searches for room availability at her favorite hotel in Paris. Microsoft Bing is the "official decision engine" of The Rachel Zoe Project, which is why these RZ commercials are coming out of the woodwork. Stay tuned for these Bing TV placements to also appear in The Philanthropist, coming this Fall to NBC. I'm still trying to get in the habit of Binging instead of Googling, what about you?

And to watch the Bing commercial with Rachel and her assistant Marisa, just read more.

I Go Bananas: Rachel Zoe In Microsoft Bing Commercial

GeekSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:15:12 -0700

A woman of many (or not so many) words, fashionista Rachel Zoe is kind of a big deal around here. I'm already tracking all of her tech habits and imagining what fashion-forward gadget gear she should be adding to her collection. Did you happen to catch the season opener of The Rachel Zoe Project the other night? Aside from the many MacBook and BlackBerry appearances, RZ was featured in a commercial for Microsoft's newest search engine - Bing! Here's the clip of her and her hubby Roger trying to figure out where to go for dinner.

And to watch Rachel and Brad (I die!) in another Bing ad, just read more.

Does Oprah's Endorsement Make You Want a Kindle More?

GeekSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:00:06 -0700

In case you missed it, Oprah announced that Amazon's Kindle was her new faaaaaavorite gadget on her show on Friday. Now, when Oprah says something is her favorite, people don't just acknowledge it - they respond with consumer glee, often selling out that product (I bitterly recall not being able to get sold-out things like the Clarisonic or Uggs because of their placement on Oprah's favorite things show).

So I'm really curious to see what Oprah's fans make of her endorsement of the Kindle, whose popularity has been moderate but not mind-blowing; will the exalted O's influence introduce a new audience to the eBook reader? Is Oprah a tech trendsetter, in addition to her grand reach? That $50 off deal certainly can't hurt.

Do tell: Does Oprah's love for the Kindle make you want it?

Celebrity Geek Shout-Out: David Beckham

GeekSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:00:55 -0700

Seriously, what gadget has David Beckham not endorsed? Not that I'm complaining. Do I care that it makes zero sense to take your shirt off for a cell phone ad? No. If it's Becks, frankly, it makes all the sense in the world. Whatever he's selling, I'm buying. Besides his variety of product pushin', Becks also happens to walk the talk and is a bit of a geek himself. Check out my slideshow for Beckham's best geeky moments!

View Slideshow ›

Maria Sharapova Canon PowerShot	Shakira For Panasonic
David Beckham Shows Off His RAZR2	Vera Wang Gets Personal For HP
Jay-Z Gets Personal For HP	Serena Williams For HP
Abigail Breslin For HP	Dwayne Wade For Sidekick 3
Justin Long 'Get a Mac' Ads	Pharrell Reps HP With A Commercial