Comments on: I see dead people…

By: The Johnny Cash Project: moving celebration or grave robbery? « Can someone please explain…?

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 23:31:20 +0000

[...] Because it was created with the support of the Cash Estate, I’m sure all the legal bases have been covered. But what about the moral ones? (Including whether his estate is the right authority to make that decision, when its interest in continuing to make money on his creativity may be in conflict with its responsibility to protect the integrity of his legacy? For more on this, see my post, “I See Dead People…”.) [...]

By: jlsimons

jlsimons — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:49:54 +0000

Jonathan, thanks for the comment and the insight. The point of this blog is that marketing tactics which may seem questionable frequently make perfect sense when one understands why they were employed by the people who use them, and you certainly qualify as an expert in that regard.

Your comment also mirrors the experience I had that led me to write this post. I was watching a show I had DVR’d and breezing past the commercials when the ghost of Chris Farley grabbed my attention — as clear an example of the power of a deceased celebrity to cut through the clutter and make a connection. Unfortunately, the connection it made for me was not a positive one. And therein, I think, lies the challenge of using any celebrity: context. I fully agree that showing Marilyn drinking her favorite champagne is utterly contextual, respectful and evocative, cuts through the clutter (who could possibly avoid noticing Marilyn Monroe?) and makes all the right connections.

By: J. Faber

J. Faber — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:54:16 +0000

Without addressing the various points addressed in your article, which is an interesting read, I will speak to the last point you addressed. Part of the appeal to advertisers in using deceased personalities is the opportunity to incorporate beloved or iconic personalities into memorable spots. Advertising executives go to great lengths to develop creative content that will cut through the noise and clutter of advertising overall, Iconic personalities, even those of the deceased, are remarkably effective at accomplishing that objective.