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Among one of the many great perks of being a celebrity is the countless endorsements one can take part in – from George Clooney with Nespresso to Kim Kardashian with waist trainers. But from time to time, some of our favourite A-listers promote some truly bizarre products, in some truly bizarre ways.
1. Kevin Bacon
What could be a more natural fit than Bacon and eggs? Kevin Bacon and eggs that is. The Hollywood actor is currently the face of – wait for it – the American Egg Board, alongside his brother Michael Bacon. The endorsement came after Bacon lost millions to financial fraudster Bernie Madoff.
2 Hugh Jackman, Lipton Ice Tea
In 2010, just months after the Aussie movie maverick reprised his famous role as the powerful mutant Wolverine in ‘X-Men: Origins’, Hugh Jackman made his move into the world of advertising. To be specific, Jackman signed up for a global campaign with Lipton Ice Tea- in Japan.
3. Natalie Portman, Lux Super Rich Shampoo
She may be known as the face of Dior, but nearly a decade ago Academy award winner Natalie Portman was also the ambassador for Lux Super Rich hair shampoo – in Japan. The most popular of these ads begins with Portman arriving at an audition on a yellow motorbike before flirtatiously removing her helmet and swishing her glossy hair around in slow motion. The star then casually strolls into a casting packed with industry professionals, who watch on in amazement as she shows off a few fencing moves and swishes her hair around some more. Portman’s impressive sword-wielding skills then lands her a role in an upcoming romantic Japanese blockbuster, and the clip ends with the ‘Black Swan’ star exclaiming, “Super rich!”
4. Katie Holmes
She’s the face of Olay and also…Oatober. Haven’t heard of it? Neither had most people – until Holmes appeared at the launch last month. “Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfast choices because it’s delicious and packed with nutrition,” she said in a highly convincing statement.
5. Leonardo Dicaprio, Orico (Japan)
Following his breakout successes in ‘Titanic’ and ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’, Hollywood A-lister Leonardo Dicaprio followed suit and cashed in on his newfound fame to star in a series of commercials promoting the popular Japanese credit card ‘Orico’. Dressed head-to-toe in a polished black suit, the Academy award winner takes on the role of a vigilant detective, chasing after bad guys and diamond thieves to save beautiful Japanese women from imminent danger. With action-packed, high emotion chase scenes akin to those in a Michael Bay film, Leo joins the list of Western entertainers who endorse strange products in foreign advertisements, and has since carried on the trend in a series of Japanese commercials for ‘Jim Beam’.
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