It was to be expected that all the fuss about Tiger Woods’ “transgressions” would have a financial fall-out somehow. Consultancy firm Accenture has severed their 6-year ties with the golf star, and Gilette will limit Woods’ marketing presence. The public image of Mr. Perfect has been tarnished, and endorsement deals based on this images have been, and probably will be, pulled.

I find the whole public mud-slinging a far from elegant feature of the American society, which has become all celebrity-crazed and media-horny. (more…)

Online tickets sales for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Giants Stadium concerts in East Rutherford, New Jersey (NJ) for  September 30, October 2 and October 3 started at 10 a.m. EST today. The fact that people are searching all over the Internet to find these tickets is not just because The Boss Bruce Springsteen still rocks, but of course also because of the location of this particular concert. (more…)

Cleveland Caveliers star LeBron James has been chosen as the 2008-09 NBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors. He appeared on his first Sports Illustrated cover at 17, and now “King James” has been voted the league’s Most Valuable Player by sportswriters and broadcasters – the youngest MVP ever. (more…)

Larry King Interviewed Singing Sensation SUSAN BOYLE and Celebrity Apprentice and Britain’s Got Talent Judge Piers Morgan Monday 20th April 2009 CNN International

Some interesting excerpts:

MORGAN: But what’s astounding is the speed and the breadth of her success.  I mean, I’ve been getting calls today from China, from Russia, from Australia.  All around America, all around Europe.  Susan Boyle has gone from total obscurity in the space of five days to global superstar and that’s just extraordinary.

MORGAN: Well, I spoke to Simon Cowell who also judges “Britain’s Got Talent” last night and he’s in Hollywood and I think it’s fair to say his eyes have been going “kaching” ever since Susan’s performance because Simon is a businessman and he knows his music and he knows he’s got somebody with an extraordinary voice and this global phenomenon going on around her and I think that within a year, whatever happens to Susan on the show, whether she wins or not, I think we’re going to see a number one album around the world.

And even though she said in the interview she was not going to change her looks - she did! Today her new Susan Boyle’s look is all over the Internet. No Hollywood Make-Over yet, but that may be next…

BOYLE:  Why should I?  Why should I change?  Particularly my identity.

Here is a clip showing part of the interview:

And now the transcript of the whole interview: (more…)

The power of association. Product placement certainly ain’t dead yet.

In the second hour of last Sunday’s Celebrity Apprentice Donald Trump had Team Kotu and Team Athena working on new meals for Schwan’s (a fast food delivery service). The next day, Schwans was at the top of phrases searched for, according to Google Trends. The products that both teams created are for sale online, at least for the time being. The items may be pulled once the Celebrity Apprentice season is over, as all three featured products only have one rating. And based on her remark during the show, I suspect that those ratings may come from Ivanka Trump herself (“I don’t think my dad will eat it, but I might.”).

The two-hour show was again more about the celebrity feuds than the challenges or the charities that benefited from the winning project manager. Country singer Clint Black pulled another two one-man shows, poker player Annie Duke went cut-throat on her poker pal Phil Hellmuth when opposing team’s Natalie Gulbis tried to get him to bid on jewelry items for her team and Joan Rivers, who overheard this conversation, called Annie two-faced and compared her to Hitler, who apparently also had his good moments. All of these can be “enjoyed” for at least another week, as Natalie Gulbis and Herschel Walker were the ones packing their bags.

Previous winner Pierce Morgan, now one of Donald Trump’s “eyes and ears”, said that this board room battle was way worse than the quarrels that he himself had with Amarosa. Pierce is all over YouTube again because of overnight British singing housewife sensation Susan Boyle’s performance on Britain’s Got Talent, with Pierce Morgan, Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell as stunned judges.

Pierce could also not understand why Jesse James had not used his wife Sandra Bullock’s contacts for the fundraiser, but Jesse replied that he doesn’t mix “business with pleasure”. Donald Trump had his own thoughts on why Jesse James was married to Sandra Bullock at all; according to him Jesse must be good in bed? O-K…

Not much online yet on YouTube for this episode, except maybe for Jesse James’ chili fart:

Mor eabout Celebrity Apprentice on NBC.

There will be a lot (and I mean: a lot…) of (basketball) celebrity stamped ads flying by on our TV screens the next few weeks. The 2009 NBA Playoffs are coming to town, starting this Saturday. And OK, it may not be as huge as the Super Bowl, but it is another peak season in sports-oriented advertising.

And I have found the first-round 2009 NBA Eastern and Western Conference Finals‘ schedule for you. (more…)

The 2009 NBA Playoffs are about to start. Can’t wait for the NBA commercials; here are the ones that we all liked last year: (more…)