Celebrity Sells

A Money Programme special on the business of celebrity endorsement

Selling their names is big business for celebrities. Endorsements can range from the astonishing to the ridiculous, from Tiger Woods $100 million deal with Nike to Anthea Turner's Flake wedding. Most stars can earn more by fronting an ad campaign, or being seen using a product than they can from their 'day job' - be it football or pop music.

With access to the celebrities and the deal makers, and with unique insight into how it happens and how it feels, the Money Programme throws the spotlight on the endorsement trade and asks, are celebrities worth the money?

Colin Montgomerie at a corporate golf day for his sponsors Lexus

The film features a host of stars, from Olympic legend Sir Steven Redgrave to strip club owner Peter Stringfellow, and it includes interviews with Tim Henman, Colin Montgomerie and Gary Lineker. All have earned millions from endorsements and advertising. All talk candidly about the business, and the money. With contributions from some of the biggest names in advertising and celebrity management, including the man behind David Beckham and Michael Owen, it looks at the past, and the future, of celebrity sells.

The logic behind the celebrity endorsement is simple. Using stars to promote a company or its message grabs the public's attention, it cuts through the advertising 'clutter' because we are fascinated with fame and famous people. Stars help give brands identity and sell more product. The most successful such campaign of recent times has been Gary Linekers tie up with Walkers crisps. "Celebrity Sells" goes behind the scenes of the latest ad, and accompanies Lineker on promotional duties. But use of celebrities can backfire, and companies can be burned. Lineker's co-star in the last Walkers campaign Sir Steven Redgrave simultaneously advertised a new cholesterol lowering margarine for Flora. The public were confused - healthy marge, and unhealthy crisp - he's just doing it for the money. Was he? In a frank interview Sir Steven talks about accusations of 'selling out'.

The acknowledged masters in the endorsement business are sport management giant IMG. With clients ranging from Tiger Woods to supermodel Giselle, IMG have arranged some of the biggest deals in history. Right now, Golf is the sport that gives sponsoring companies the most bang for their buck. We discover why with Colin Montgomerie as he takes part in a corporate golf day for his sponsors Lexus. IMG boss Mark McCormack explains how he has driven some of his clients super deals, and we watch as he wheels and deals during the IMG owned World Matchplay golf tournament at Wentworth.

Maria Sharapova is set to be a star

In Florida IMG have a 'client factory' - a school for 450 gifted young athletes. The goal is to create the next Tiger Woods or Andre Aggasi, with all the vast endorsement earning potential that implies. Cream of the crop is Maria Sharapova - Just 14 years old, IMG are convinced that the young Russian tennis player is going to be a global star. With the potential looks of Anna Kournikova and the dominating game of Steffi Graf, she already has a multi million dollar deal with Nike. Others, from shampoos to cars, are being negotiated. Yet she still hasn't turned pro. Does she feel like a commodity?

And the Money Programme discovers how celebrities are being used to sell to us even when we don't realise it. Often its disguised as news. PR company Shine are masters of this self proclaimed 'black art', placing stories about stars with newspapers and TV at the behest of sponsors. The public are three times as likely to believe it if it is editorial not advertising, so this approach works. But for how much longer? The first signs that our obsession with celebrity has reached saturation are being detected. What will this means for the stars, and the lucrative endorsement business?

See "Celebrity Sells" on Wednesday19th December at 7.30pm on BBC 2

Producer: Arif Nurmohamed
Series Editor: Clive Edwards