Celebrity Creative Directors
brand-as-business bit: When the folks at HBR Blog asked me to write a piece about why are so many celebrities now ‘Creative Directors,’ I had a lot of ideas and insights about the changing nature of the brand/celebrity relationship to share. But actually progressive companies have actually engaged this kind of celebrity partnership for years. The Gibson Les Paul guitar – designed in collaboration with the venerable musician — was first sold in 1952. Nike has long used input from star athletes to develop and improve its products, with the company claiming that Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and others have fueled some of its most significant innovations. What seems to be new is applying the ‘Creative Director” title. So we are now even branding a brand-building strategy — how meta! Please take a look at my HBR piece and let me know what you think.