• Forbes, Wednesday, February 29, 2012 10:32 AM

If average Americans trust celebrities more than they do most politicians or corporations, then this move makes sense: Michael Douglas references Gordon Gekko, the iconic character he made famous in 1987′s “Wall Street” and 2010′s “ Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” in a public service announcement for the FBI seeking to promote its efforts in thwarting insider trading. The 60-second spot is getting a lot of buzz.

“If you’re Michael and you want to build your brand, this is a pretty good way to do it,” said Tim Calkins, clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business, “because it sets you up as a very credible and trustworthy and authoritative character. It’s interesting: Michael Douglas played Gordon Gekko, but people trust him as Michael Douglas. They trust him nonetheless.”

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