On Brand

This has probably already been reported and commented on ad nauseum by every blogger, critic, marketer, and news site thus far. But I wanted to take a look St John's decision to replace Angelina Jolie as the face of the company's advertising campaigns with Karen Elson.

I suppose people around the world, with little else to do I guess, were shocked to learn that the superstar beauty Angelina Jolie had been replaced by someone less famous. And then to hear that the reason Jolie was replaced was because she was "overshadowing the brand", well maybe that was too much.

St John's CEO Glenn McMahon has stated that Jolie was replaced because she "overshadowed the brand". Interesting concept, since originally Jolie was presumably signed to represent and act as an ambassador to the brand. The issue (at least I don’t think) isn't Jolie's contract, but why St John thinks that she overshadowed, or in more realistic terms, diluted the brand. How so? Didn't she provide it with a face, a lifestyle, a symbol for what you get when you purchase any of St John's items? St John is synonymous with luxury, wealth, and perhaps, fame. And doesn't Jolie represent each and every one of those components? Of course she does.

I realize that St John certainly has brand image as top of mind, but perhaps the response isn’t “overshadowing the brand” as redefining it. Elson represents an entirely different demographic – although beautiful and a member of fashion’s elite, she certainly can lay claim to the rock and roll vertical, of which St John may very well want to capitalize upon. So releasing Jolie from a much sought after contract may not really be about dilution or “overshadowing”, but expanding business beyond what the brand itself may have been considered, and re-defining the brand itself.

In general, my take away is that I would have moved on to Elson too, assuming I couldn’t get Jack White to do the line first. Jack White and his monopoly on rock and roll via The White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather would be my first pick, and if I can’t get him, who better than his wife?