Fame After Death: Who's Still a Celebrity Post-Mortem?

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Fame After Death: Who's Still a Celebrity Post-Mortem?

Posted Friday 13 November 02:35 PM By: Bruce Haring

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The recent DirecTV commercial with the image of the late Chris Farley cavorting with David Spade begs the question – which living celebs have that kind of afterlife? Will Jay-Z's relatives have 'Hova sell a Honda? Will Taylor Swift's estate have her pushing a Swiffer when she's pushing up daisies? What about today's reality TV stars? Any post shelf-life prospects?

"No," says Amy Ferguson Wolf, director of film & TV at mediaplacement entertainment, a branding company which strategically inserts products into what you're watching. "It's fast food fame – digested and quickly forgotten. Being famous for something other than 'being famous' is essential." So who is a candidate for post-mortem stardom?

Her three criteria for a dead celebrity: Will the average consumer know who he/she is 10 to 20 years from now? Does he/she have a cross-demographic, cross-generational appeal? Will what the celebrity was known for be relevant at the time their image is used?

Based on that, her choices are George Clooney, Madonna, Bono, Oprah Winfrey and Johnny Depp. Among those without hope beyond the grave: Britney Spears, Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, Colin Farrell, and Lady Gaga.

Michael Taub, a former record executive and now Vice President, Marketing & Product Development, for Ronco Acquisition Corporation (that pocket fisherman company) sees the future of dead celebrities through rainbow-colored glasses. "We have a Black president, the quarterback of the New York Jets is a Mexican-American, Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer. How could we not have significant diversity of icons that live on?"

Peggy Dold, the owner of Navigation Partners and a former Univision talent executive, agrees on that assessment. She tapped Shakira and Ricky Martin as two sure bets to sell after death. She also feels that Paris Hilton may (that's may) live on. "I'm not sure she's iconic anything. But everyone knows what she looks like."

A random survey of advertising executives, managers and marketers chose these four as likely candidates for a successful afterlife: Barack Obama - great at selling an agenda, Jennifer Aniston - just search for "Jennifer Aniston's sweater" and you'll know why, Bono - at least two generations think Bono when they think "rock star", and Oprah - her sheer number of impressions in TV, magazines and more create brand trust.