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The very first celebrity endorsement – or celebrity in any ad, not counting trading cards paired with ad campaigns -was Babe Ruth in 1930, for Red Rock Cola.<\/p>\n
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This says two important things: that we\u2019re soon coming up on 100 years of celebrity advertising, and that sports stars were the first to make inroads with consumers for brands. The trend didn\u2019t shift to movie stars and other talents until the mid-40s.<\/p>\n
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Back then, brands used outdoor ads and posters, so athletes did little more than smile and pose. Today, however, click on a TV and you\u2019ll see not just athletes, but actors, musicians and more suddenly turn on the charm and dig into acting chops we didn\u2019t know they had, for major commercial brand campaigns. Many of them possess natural on-camera talent. Some are hilarious.<\/p>\n
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Above: Baseball star Babe Ruth was the first celebrity endorsement, for Red Rock Cola, almost 100 years ago.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n But what do directors do about sports stars with plenty of clout, yet no acting experience, particularly when ads are supposed to be hilarious?\u00a0How can they coach athletes (off the court) to pull their weight in a comedic spot while staying true to themselves? Audiences want to see their favourite celebrity, not a caricature of the real thing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the other hand, they don\u2019t want to sit through 30 seconds of well-meaning line-reading, either. So, for directors and other creatives to keep in mind, here\u2019s are some tricks to try and to coax the comedy out of the shyest talent:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The most important part of working with celebrity talent happens before they even arrive on set. Researching the celebrity or professional athlete will help give an idea of their personality and their range as an actor. Look at their other spots, if any. Watch interviews. Study their social media persona.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n During the scriptwriting process, this research can provide parameters to help craft the copy. Avoid writing something that will make them feel uncomfortable or out of character, or cause an issue for their public persona (unless the idea is to subvert expectations of who we think this person is, which works well in comedy).<\/p>\n This should go without saying. Authenticity will help sell a humorous performance, creating character beats and moments of earnest hilarity where you didn\u2019t think of those inroads before.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As a nod to this tactic Mt. Dew let basketball star Zach LeVine and actor Charlie Day be themselves in a humorous ad\u00a0playing to Zach\u2019s naturally quiet, straightforward approach.\u00a0The best space for authenticity is where you collaborate with the talent and let them seize some creativity by the reins. Give them their input, which brings me to…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I know, I know, you studied the talent thoroughly so you could draft a compelling script. But, sometimes, the best performances come from off-beat ad-libs, and directors have to give their athletes room to play and experiment with the source material.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I like to say that the script is a guide; I prefer them to take the main idea and then add their spin. I’ll often get great ad-libs that would have been impossible to write. I also like to avoid the pitfalls of giving line readings as a director (although some celebrity talent prefer this), so having them find their own words is a great way to keep them feeling natural and comfortable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another way to warm up talent during the shoot is to get lots of coverage of the talent. They’ll feel less insecure when they’re not thinking about the camera. So, roll early and don’t call cut. Find those reactions, one-lines, awkward pauses, and funny looks later in the edit. That can help your pacing and bring out some natural comedy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The funny factor can come through in your edit: well-timed glances, the right line at the right place, and even awkward pauses can make a comedy ad that much better. When your celebrity doesn\u2019t come with triple-threat talent, however, bringing out their humanity and demoting the ins and outs of making a commercial to a dull roar in the background can have a huge impact on the quality of the overall spot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nStudy past plays<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nAuthenticity sells<\/h3>\n
… seize the script<\/h3>\n