If you’re a parent with young kids, you probably know all about 16-year-old Justin Bieber. The precocious, mop-headed pop star is a phenom with millions of adoring fans. But is there a danger of overexposure? A recent Brandweek article titled “Brands by Bieber” got me thinking.

It seems the Boy Wonder has been selling his name liberally these days. He’s involved with hawking a number of brands. Brandweek gives some examples:



  • ProActiv acne treatment. OK, the kid uses it himself.


  • Just Beats headphones and ear buds. JB campaigning for products that deliver crisper sound quality here.


  • One Less Lonely Girl Nail Polish. Let’s remember that the Bieb has tons of screaming young female fans who are into nail polish, even if he isn’t.


  • My World scented dog tags and wristbands. Who wouldn’t want products like these sporting Bieber’s favorite blended scents?


  • Justin Bieber Snack Pack Pudding? It's supposedly in the works. JB’s favorite antioxidant pudding concoction. And it’s purple—his favorite color.


I wonder if celebrity brand tie-ins have the cachet they used to have. Celeb endorsements used to make consumer product brands rock, but it doesn’t seem as powerful anymore  ... or maybe it’s just my perspective. And then what about endorsing so many brands that we end up with Bieber 24/7? Overexposure can really be a negative. Just ask Emeril Lagasse.

So why do it? A notable quote from the article states Bieber’s moment in the sun might be shorter than we think. So why not make hay while the sun still shines?

“What I suspect is that Justin may not have as long a potential as [some would] like,” says Q Score’s president Steve Levitt, citing Bieber’s positive Q of 36 percent with the 6-11 age bracket and, even worse, a mere 20 percent among 12-17-year-olds. Q Score is a rating system for a celebrity’s popularity.

All of this makes me curious.

Questions:


  • Do celebrities give you an incentive to purchase the brands they endorse? Or do they have no effect?


  • Do you think it makes sense for celebs to overexpose themselves in this manner (and make all the money they can) since some of their careers are fairly short-lived these days?


  • Which star endorsements do you value or have you valued due to their clout?


I’d love to hear from you.


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Is Bieber Fever Becoming Bieber Overexposure?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Ted Mininni

Ted Mininni is president and creative director of Design Force, a leading brand-design consultancy.

LinkedIn: Ted Mininni