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What does Van Outen actually stand for?

Posted in Advertising, Oliver Milman, Latest reporters' blogs August 23rd, 2007 by Oliver Milman

Denise Van Outen is now the ‘woman from Del Monte’, but what does the increasingly ubiquitous celebrity exactly offer brands in her recent flurry of advertising campaigns?

Those fed up of seeing Van Outen’s dazzling smile and blonde locks may want to avoid women’s magazines in the next few weeks, where pictures of her brandishing an iced smoothie will receive blanket coverage.

This follows her being signed up by Morrisons to tone down her Essex twang, wander through large open spaces and drop the bombshell that she likes fresh food. Unlike the rest of us, apparently, who prefer to gnaw upon rotting pigeon carcasses.

So, what exactly does our Denise provide, in a marketing sense? Del Monte say that she appeals to young women, but if you were drawing up a list of those suitable for this demographic, you’d think that the chippy Van Outen would probably feature on the second page.

As a brand ambassador, Van Outen is hampered by the fact that she represents nothing much and has done two quick ads in succession for different brands.

If you were being unkind, you’d speculate that with a failed Broadway career behind her, she was quickly raking in the cash while she can, with brands happy to pay cut price for a smiley, recognisable face.

So, is this fair, or does Denise have what it takes to put her face to the brand?

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Tags Del Monte, Denise Van Outen, Morrisons, Celebrity endorsements, Advertising, Branding, Marketing

Comments (3)

namrita’s comment is....

I have absolutely no idea what Denise Van Outen represents in these campaigns and the fact that she’s doing two campaigns so close together confuses the message completely! I’m not naive enough to think that celebrities who endorse products actually believe in them or like them, but she could at least pretend!

Representing two campaigns in one go can only mean one thing - ‘failed broadway career’ = need cash desperately!

Posted August 23rd, 2007 at 2:59 pm

lckenny81’s comment is....

I don’t agree. I am sure Denise wasn’t picked at random for these campaigns. She is an easily recognisable face and a personality that people can generally relate to - not like the Victoria Beckhams of this world. The Del Monte story explains they are using Denise to launch a bikini story that was promoting a positive body image and Denise was voted as having the best bikini body - there’s the link.
For Morrisons, they are a down to earth retailer who had some key messages they wanted to convey to their target consumer, as Denise is mass market, she grabbed the viewers attention. It is proven time and time again the general public LOVE (or love to hate) celebrities…either way they grab attention.
And no i’m not Denise’s agent, I just feel the PR/ Advertising/ Marketing trade is getting harder to defend as it is without delibrately picking wholes in perfectly credible campaigns.

Posted August 24th, 2007 at 3:59 pm

Threerooms’s comment is....

I agree with Ickenny81, there are a number of shared characteristics both Denise and the two brands possess. When one breaks down the brand DNA and image of Morrison’s and Del Monte, Denise shares personality, culture, connects with consumers and is aesthetically pleasing.

It all boils down to connotations and perceptions. What do you see when you look at Denise Van Outen? Denise is young, sexy, fresh, down to earth and honest. Many of these words can be associated with both Morrison’s and Del Monte. One just has to look at the bigger picture. After all Denise Van Outen is also a brand, we are all brands and hold our own images and values.

Chris
www.threerooms.com

Posted August 29th, 2007 at 8:32 am

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