# Celeb. Endorsements?



## DMonkey (Apr 9, 2005)

Was reading about how you can google search celebrities that you can pay to make product endorsements. Has anyone done this with t-shirts? If so what did it cost, I'm guessing it varies according to which celebrity you approach?


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Hi Marie,

Have you seen any websites that actually offer this service in particular? 

I've heard of some companies doing this for t-shirts with some success...I've always wondered how they got the celebs to wear their stuff.


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## BWS (Mar 30, 2005)

Usually to get news on one of these specialties you need to figure out what phrases they use to describe themselves. I've searched for ages for something until I stumbled on the exact words my target would use to describe its services, and then I found a ton.

What I just did when I read this was to do a Google search n the phrase "product placement" +celebrity. I found several things right away - like this interesting article at http://tinyurl.com/ctree about a very high ticket version of this kind of promotion. There's also this: http://tinyurl.com/7cfeg which describes one of that company's promotions, and this: http://tinyurl.com/7rytx which is a news story about how the selfsame company is being sued by the producers of "The Apprentice". There's a lot more results - maybe even something we could use  - but those popped out right away. Neat!

Edited to add more:

http://tinyurl.com/c6j4n is another company that sounds like it's for real; they list ongoing productions and what sort of placements are available. This is more geared toward getting products into movies and television shows.

This http://tinyurl.com/ds9ht on the other hand is a whole bunch of good information on placements at, for example, the Academy Awards, MTV, and VH1 events. There are some comments at the end - the one I like says that it's probably more useful to give your product to 100 regular people . This whole business sounds like it's full of smooth talkers and shysters and a great way to lose your, um, shirt. But on those occasions when it works it must be amazing.


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## Kirsty (Apr 19, 2005)

Why not send a sample to the PR Office on the desired celebrity and see what happens. They must receive freebies all the time and if they like it theyll wear it and then everyone will want one. Im sure you can google the agencies and find out whos with who. Good Luck!


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## DMonkey (Apr 9, 2005)

Wow Bradley! Thanks for running the searches, great info!  Another thing I was wondering, let's say you 'catch' someone wearing one of your shirts and manage to get a picture (I haven't I'm just thinking ahead) can you use the picture without a release or do you need the celeb's permission to use the picture? Like you haven't paid for an 'endorsement' but he's/she's wearing your shirt, through either give away (you sent it to them) or purchase (they liked it and bought it)?


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## DickTees.net (Apr 5, 2005)

You might try befriending a few of the more popular bands in your area. Guys or girls that are gigging out a lot are likely to be in front of thousands of eyes in the course of a month. The center of attention. With your shirt plastered on their torso, if it is eyecatching enough, they will likely be asked by an adoring fan where they got such a cool shirt. I am friends with two South Carolina bands that recently got major label deals. They wear my shirts and get asked all the time where their shirt came from.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

DickTees.net said:


> You might try befriending a few of the more popular bands in your area. Guys or girls that are gigging out a lot are likely to be in front of thousands of eyes in the course of a month. The center of attention. With your shirt plastered on their torso, if it is eyecatching enough, they will likely be asked by an adoring fan where they got such a cool shirt. I am friends with two South Carolina bands that recently got major label deals. They wear my shirts and get asked all the time where their shirt came from.


That sounds like a great idea. Working the different levels of celebrity status 

There are a lot of cool local bands around my area...I may have to look into that.


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## DMonkey (Apr 9, 2005)

Yea, that's a good one with the band thing Jay. What about 'making celebrities' like a well liked coach in a local high school or something like that? He'd prolly endorce the t-shirt for free if you gave him one. Yes, I think it's all to do with someone wearing it and their peers/fans wanting to know where they can get one.


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## DickTees.net (Apr 5, 2005)

DMonkey said:


> Yea, that's a good one with the band thing Jay. What about 'making celebrities' like a well liked coach in a local high school or something like that? He'd prolly endorce the t-shirt for free if you gave him one. Yes, I think it's all to do with someone wearing it and their peers/fans wanting to know where they can get one.


There ya go! Anybody that is in a highly visible situation. Friends that work in high volume retail that are allowed to wear t-shirts. Tattoo artists, bar workers, musicians, local djs, etc. The idea is to get your gear in front of as many eyeballs as you possibly can. Preferably by influential people. You dig?


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## BWS (Mar 30, 2005)

Yep, those ideas sound a lot more practical than spending $4000 for the privilege of giving your shirts away .


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## jrotem (Apr 4, 2005)

I got contacted by a gift bag/promotion company recently for the TVLand Awards. It didn't happen (email glitch) but I called them and found out how it works. They are Hollywood Connection -- pretty nice.

It does mean, of course, an expenditure of 100-250 shirts on the average. You are free to state that "So-and-so received this shirt..." Photos are $500 ea.

Another thing is being a backstage promoter ($3-4000).

For me these days, it's alla bit steep -- I am just pleased that some producer told the gift bag company "check out this shop -- we like them."

jean


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Hey Jean, thanks for that info!

I got contacted by the same company, but I didn't get much good information from them.

I asked them about what type of shirts they were looking for (since they contacted me through t-shirtcountdown) and how it all works, but they didn't get back to me.

That's interesting that they charge extra for photos.

What does it mean to be a "backstage promoter"?


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## DMonkey (Apr 9, 2005)

>What does it mean to be a "backstage promoter"?

I'm guessing it means to have a back-stage pass/access to the celebrities?


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## Binary01 (Jun 2, 2007)

i have alot of detroit artists rocking my gear on stage.... just have to build your rep and support them also..... don't expect people to rock your gear just because. there has to be meaning in your designs/line


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