• by Seana Mulcahy , April 14, 2008

I had the TV on in the background when I was working last night. I caught some sound bite on how Kelly Ripa was going to be the new Electrolux spokesperson.

Wow. I haven't thought of that brand in ages. It reminds me of my parent's pre-central vac. My initial thought was of being a kid having to do household chores. I always had to vacuum. After much hoopla I succumbed to the fact that I had to move and rearrange things versus vacuuming around them. I also remember it being heavy. When I thought about it some more, I recalled the price -- a whopping $499.99 back in, oh jeez I don't know, 1982? Not to mention, a door-to-door salesperson sold it to my mom. Times sure have changed.

I can't say I watch "Live With Regis and Kelly" or that I am a fan. So I can't really say if women will have a positive brand association with Ripa. However, I guess I am like most people that had no idea Electrolux made anything other than vacuums. I guess that's what she is promoting.

If I knew that, I would have probably typed in something like "premium appliances" and seen that the company ranked #2 in Google's search results. But then again I would never use the word "premium." I'd type in something like "high-end appliances" and wouldn't find good ole Electrolux there.

Again, I am not the target, but I don't think of Kelly Ripa and "housework" in the same sentence. Come on people, be a little authentic. This wouldn't survive without being flamed on the Web. It fact it has been well, er, let's just say, "negatively" talked about. What's even more weird, a couple weeks ago it was plastered all over the press and blogosphere that she was brought in by Electrolux to help support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

When I teach, I find my students' reaction to the use of celebrities in ads is cringing at best. My students have witnessed the fallout of celebrities-gone-bad and then removed from ads. If they were going to use a celebrity in any campaigns they were working on, they'd make damn sure the person was of little to no risk of going over the edge.

When you think bad celebrities you probably think of some of these: Paris Hilton, Brittney Spears, Janet Jackson, Madonna -- hell, check out Cracked.com  and read, "Before They Were Famous: The 10 Most Regrettable Celebrity Commercials" by Ben Joseph and laugh your head off (or be offended). I myself bust a gut. Nonetheless you get the drift.

Look around; there has been less celebrity usage these days. In fact, there has been a resurgence of dead celebrities in ads. Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, James Dean, Lucille Ball, John Wayne and Bob Hope are always top of the list. As I was researching to find more I stumbled on an article about this by Karlene Lukovitz in Media Daily News I don't know her -- but hey, here's a shout out to ya, Karlene.

I digress. What should a brand like Electrolux do when trying to revamp? Does it make sense to shell out the moola for Kelly Ripa? More importantly is it smart to blend Ripa with a cause and home appliances? I don't think so. Again, it doesn't seem genuine.

As I write I realize this came out more like a brand slam versus a take-a-step-back-and-be-true-to-your-roots. So I'll make a last-ditch attempt and say the company could make a positive brand association and build awareness of appliances. Why not celebrate famous moms and speak to the evolution of being a part of American homes? Did someone say Lucille Ball? ---