Celebrity Endorsements Soar 150% in 2010 Grammy(R) Awards TV Ads

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- GreenLight (www.greenlightrights.com), a global media licensing, talent negotiation and rights representation consultancy, today released the results of its annual GreenLight Ad Gauge of the 52nd annual Grammy® Awards, revealing a 150% spike in ads featuring celebrity endorsements. The full report is available for download at www.greenlightrights.com/blog.

The GreenLight Ad Gauge analyzes TV advertising during the Grammys – the world's biggest television music event every year – as a barometer to identify trends in how brands are using celebrities and pop music in their TV commercials.

The 2010 analysis reveals that after a pulling back from celebrity collaborations in 2009, brands are once again partnering with celebrities and using pop music to maximize brand awareness and forge emotional connections with consumers.

Key findings from GreenLight's 2010 analysis include:

• 15% of 2010 Grammy ads featured celebrity endorsements, a 150% spike from last year
• 22% of ads featured pop music, about the same as the past two years and down from a peak of 38% in 2007
• Just 3% of ads featured brand jingles, including spots from McDonald's and Outback Steakhouse, about the same as the past two years
• U.S. carmakers dominated Grammy ads, with 16% of total ads, and more than a quarter of ads featuring celebrity endorsements or pop music
• Olay (11 spots), Target (8 spots), Lincoln (6 spots) and Chevy (5 spots) were the biggest Grammy advertisers, with Target and Lincoln incorporating celebs and/or pop music
• CoverGirl turned to actress Drew Barrymore, a year after its Grammy ad featured Rihanna, who failed to attend the awards show following a widely publicized domestic incident with boyfriend Chris Brown

"Our Grammy ad research suggests that a definite rebound in celebrity endorsements is underway," said David Reeder, Vice President, GreenLight. "Last year, we saw brands cut costs by focusing mostly on the licensing of pop music to maintain some celebrity presence in their ads. This year, we're seeing brands again use music to connect with consumers, but they're also signing music acts and other stars to maximize the reach and impact of their message."

The Grammys – one of the highest rated TV specials each year – are generally watched by 20 to 25 million viewers with 30 second ad slots costing up to $1 million or more. The 2010 Grammy Awards averaged an 18.2 rating/27 share, a whopping 52% increase over last year.

Target, T-Mobile and MasterCard were among the winners that used celebrity endorsement and music in their ads this year. The sizzling ads featured stars ranging from global icons like the Black Eyed Peas, Pearl Jam, Nick Jonas and Eric Clapton to a West Coast indie band, IQU.

"Target made a big splash leveraging the exclusive distribution deals it recently signed with the Black Eyed Peas, Nick Jonas & The Administration and Pearl Jam," said Reeder. "The massive star power of these ads speaks volumes about the level of cool Target has created over the past several years. Target is also the only brand to feature a big Grammy winner in its ads – the Black Eyed Peas. Most notably – Grammy winners like Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga weren't featured in a single ad, while no brand was ready to create an association with Michael Jackson, who was remembered with a special tribute during the show."

GM's Lincoln and AT&T were assessed by GreenLight's expert to have celeb ads that fizzled.

"Lincoln arrived a day late and a dollar short to the American Idol phenomenon by layering a competition among the bands – the winner of which gets the honor of falling into sell out territory by appearing in their next Lincoln commercial," said Reeder. "In the case of AT&T, they tried to counter the star power of the T-Mobile spots and the assault on its 3G network by Verizon with Luke Wilson. Despite his inherent likeability, Wilson doesn't inspire belief in the service or the brand. A clear swing... and miss."

To download the complete GreenLight Ad Gauge of the 2010 Grammys, visit www.greenlightrights.com/blog.

About GreenLight

GreenLight is a global media licensing, talent negotiation and rights representation consultancy providing corporate, advertising and media clients access to music, film and other entertainment content and celebrities. GreenLight works with the world's leading advertising agencies and multinational companies to create innovative advertising, packaging and products. GreenLight's rights representation group manages the personality rights of iconic personas including Albert Einstein, The Wright Brothers, Steve McQueen, and Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. A Corbis brand, GreenLight is based in Los Angeles and serves clients in more than 50 countries. For more information, visit www.greenlightrights.com. www.greenlightrights.com.

SOURCE GreenLight