Being known for rowdiness or drinking is not normally the master key to unlock a lucrative career in marketing.
Typically the traits also reduce a person’s chances of being taken seriously by the masses.
But add musical stardom and a British accent into the mix and watch the creation of a cocktail that companies and advertisers will find hard to resist.
So the soul singer Amy Winehouse is discovering, following reports that American brewers and distillers want her to feature in a lucrative line of “adult-orientated” TV and cinema ads.
The 23-year-old diva has already helped revive interest in Rickstasy – a cocktail of which she said, “by the time you’ve had two of them you’re like, don’t even try and go anywhere.”
Now her record label, Universal Republic Records, has said players in the US drinks industry want the north Londoner to market their products, The Sunday Times reported yesterday.
Part of the singer’s appeal to a US audience, aside from 300,000 of them already owning her records, is being hailed as her recognisable accent, said one academic talking to the paper.
“Her accent may sound strange to older generations but the young know what she’s singing about – rebellion,” said Jeff Dorenfield, assoc prof of Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Dorenfield reportedly explained that Winehouse is perceived as acting fearlessly in a way that few American stars would risk for fear of jeopardising their corporate sponsorship deals.
Jun 4, 2007
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