Burger King has signed rapper and entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs to a multiyear deal as brand ambassador to star in an upcoming ad campaign and launch a co-branded channel on YouTube.com called
DiddyTV. The interactive channel features a personal video message from Combs and clips from his first solo collection in five years, "Press Play," which will hit store shelves on Oct. 17.
Burger King will also sponsor Combs' upcoming cross-country tour to promote "Press Play" and will be represented at events and appearances. In a statement, Burger King's Russ Klein, president of the
company's global marketing, strategy and innovation, said Combs was chosen because of his stature as a "pop-culture icon." Despite Combs' high-profile lure to youth, signing him may be a somewhat
risky move because of his checkered past, says Miami Beach marketing consultant Richard Weiner. Combs has been linked to highly publicized shootings, assaults, motor- vehicle violations and lawsuits.
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