Idol to Icon

The creation of celebrity brands
Gerrie Lim

A fascinating examination of how personalities become iconic brands in our age of instant gratification.

“This is not a traditional book for the business reader, nor is it easy fodder for fans of the pop press. It is not a book about those traditional modes defined (or rather confined) by product/service/corporate branding. Celebrity branding is much more difficult to frame and contain in any single branding theory.”
- From the foreword

In this book Gerrie Lim defines this new territory: looking at how celebrities “become” brands, how they promote their brands, how they use their brands – and how their brands use them. He brings to the task his unique mixture of the East and West, and the experience of a couple of decades in the world of “celebrities”. An eccentric and fascinating mix of megastars (Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Tom Cruise), Asian heroes (Maggie Cheung, Michelle Yeoh, Jackie Chan) and the vaguely famous (like body double Shelley Michelle) bring life to an intriguing thesis.

“Celebrity endorsements are possibly the best part of being a celebrity,” he claims, “since one’s essence is used to enhance a product.” But what is that essence, and how is it best developed, promoted and protected? Is it “bogus” when Jerry Garcia gives his name to a wine he never drank, or Steve McQueen and Marilyn Monroe go on selling decades after their deaths? Does Jennifer Lopez “choose” the image she projects in her perfume and clothing lines, or does her public choose it for her?

Are we too obsessed with celebrities? And what is it about these particular individuals that draws us to them and makes us crave a closer association through the products they promote?

First-hand interviews with a host of industry insiders – the journalists, publicists and stylists who both create and feed on the celebrity frenzy – add further depth and insight to a ground-breaking book.

GERRIE LIM has written about entertainment for Billboard, Playboy, Details, LA Style, LA Weekly and the Wall Streeet Journal. He worked in Hollywood as a story editor and screenplay development executive for film production companies, Ballantyne/Michaels Productions and IRS Media Pictures. He has also worked as a seniour copywriter at Batey Ads.

Gerrie graduated with a Master’s degree in Print Journalism from the University of Southern California. He currently lives in Singapore and is the author of the bestselling Invisible Trade.

1-904879-18-7
£12.99 PB
Rights: All
Sales territory:World ex. Asia & ANZ
Asia & ANZ sales: MCIA*