Spice Girls endorsements have risen to eight with the Poppy Appeal
and Polaroid’s Spice-Cam
Alex Johnston
Freud Communications
’They’re not exactly endorsement virgins. There were all kinds of
benefits for Pepsi and Impulse getting in early but as you notch another
endorsement on the bedpost you lose any aspirational value you might
once have generated. The Spice Girls can still deliver headlines but
their value of saying something interesting about brands is diminishing
But they’re still delivering impact to clients and while they’re able to
do that they have some value.’
Matt Fearnley
Larkspur Communications
’Celebrity endorsement must be memorable and relevant. While I’m a fan,
attaching too many products to a celeb can only devalue them among all
but their hardiest fans, while the product gets lost among the others
they’re pushing at the same time. I think the Spice Girls have plenty of
time to do some more endorsements but it’ll be very different in a
year’s time.’
Lyla Smith
Thomson Holidays
’I think post-Christmas if they have any commercial benefit at all it
would be a miracle, as they are in danger of complete overkill. The
market they appeal to is so fickle and moves on quickly to the next ’big
thing’. Even as one fad is peaking the next one is coming up
behind.’
Martin Thomas
Cohn and Wolfe
’Playground research says they are yesterday’s news. We researched ten
and 11-year-olds, they still know all the songs and they did all the
dances for us, but when we asked them if they liked them, they said
no.
They have done a superb job of tying up endorsements and Remembrance Day
was inspired. But as far as products go, I am now dubious about their
ability to shift products off the shelves.’
Julien Speed
The Public Relations Business
’I think this phenomenon is typical of the media-hyped mass hysteria
that pervades modern day Britain. Most people seem to have so little
going on in their lives they have to make it vicariously interesting by
whipping themselves up into a frenzy over five girls who aren’t
particularly pretty and who aren’t great singers. They’ve already
totally oversold themselves to the point where their endorsement has no
credibility - any manufacturer signing them up now has more money than
sense.’