Excellent article analyzes the pros & cons of investing in recognizable corporate icons

Business reporter David Ranii of The News & Observer has written an excellent article analyzing the pros and cons of using celebrities or other recognizable corporate icons in advertising campaigns. This is a good read:

Know these guys? ads depend on it
Ad campaign shows the pitfalls of investing in corporate icons

Credit Alltel with piggybacking on the megabucks its competitors spend on ads.

The wireless carrier's latest TV commercials feature look-alikes of the actors who are the public faces of its rivals -- Verizon's "Can you hear-me-now?" guy is one of them.

The commercials open with a legal disclaimer that says "some of the characters you are about to see are not associated with Alltel." Certainly not the standard intro for an ad spot.

The company is taking its competitors' strength -- recognizable corporate icons -- and turning it against them, said Sridhar Balasubramanian, an associate professor of marketing at UNC-Chapel Hill, who praises Alltel's strategy.

Click here for the full article