I have always wondered how much fees celebrities get for endorsing a product. Now I know. This article put paid to my curiosity.
The Star, Sat 18 March 2006
KUALA LUMPUR: Actress Wardina Safiyyah Fadlullah has sued the owner of the Mydin wholesale supermarket chain for using her image in its advertisement without her approval.
Wardina, 27, who is also a popular TV host and model, filed the suit at the Civil Division High Court registry in Jalan Ampang here yesterday through her lawyer Adnan Seman @ Abdullah.
She was accompanied by her husband, architect Ikhwan Johari.
In her statement of claim, Wardina said she had signed an agreement with Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd on July 15, 2002, to allow her image to be used in one of the company’s advertising billboards.
According to the agreement, the company was to pay her RM10,000 for the first year and RM1,000 for each subsequent year or each subsequent billboard displaying her picture.
Wardina, who is expecting her second child next month, claimed that the company had infringed on her intellectual property by using her image without her approval after the contract expired in July 2003.
She claimed that the company had only compensated her with a further RM10,000 for the alleged infringement.
Apart from the giant billboards, she said, the company had also used her image on giant posters, paper bags, banners and on their lorries.
She is seeking RM300,000 in general damages, an injunction, interest and costs.
RM10,000 is probably the lower end of the spectrum. Celebrities with bigger star appeal like Siti Nurhaliza are bound to command much, much more.
Celebrities aren’t the only folks sought out by advertisers. Famous sports personalities lend their names to brands too. Shuttlers, Wong Choon Hann was the spokesperson for a computer and Lee Wan Wah for a toiletry product.
How about authors? Why aren’t they sought out for product endorsements? For one, they must be household names like Mawi and Who Wants to be a Millionnaire host, Jalaluddin Hassan. Otherwise the instant noodles, rice and massage chairs will not sell as well if they’re endorsed by nobodies. If the advertisers wanted no-name people, they would’ve gotten models from the talent agencies and save a load on endorsement fees.
Preferably, the endorser must have knock-out looks like Siti Nurhaliza or Vince of Akademi Fantasia fame. However, this is not a compulsory trait. Look at Apek of Scenario. I just saw him on a tv ad for a phone. His star quality is so big that it overshadows his looks.
Wait a sec, I just remember there’s a Malaysian author who does product endorsement. She’s none other than Lilian Too, the prolific feng shui author. But then she’s an industry on her own.
Meanwhile I’ll dream of the day when I become a famous author and don’t need to earn money through tapping out meaningful prose on the computer. I’ll just let my endorsement fees bring in the dough. What could I endorse?
There are the writing related tools :
1. Notebook / computer – so sophisticated it makes writing a breeze.
2. Writing software – so easy it takes the chore out of writing a book.
Thinking out of the box :
3. Microwave oven – does all the cooking for me while I write my book.
4. Writing table – such beautiful furniture inspires me to write more.
5. Country home – serene locale to inspire more greatness in my book.
6. Rice – healthy rice to feed my family with so they’ll be happy and healthy enough to
leave me alone to write my book.
And how can I forget this :
7. Slimming program – helps me lose weight so I’m fitter and have more energy to write more books.
hehehe, good one. I saw in paper an author of a recipe book actually become sort of an ambassador for a restaurant to promote healthy food ler…who knows? Lydia w/slimming product? hmm
i want clothes and makeup, maybe someone (I said SOMEONE!!!) can read this and hand me the deal, ok? Hellow?????? Somebody there?
Blinka.li, Yes, Amy Beh used to endorse a cooker hood and some kitchen utensils.
Marsha, LOL! I oso want clothes and makeup so I don’t look so Aunty. Let’s yell together : HELLOOWW?? Marsha and I are looking for clothes and makeup endorsements. WEEEIII??
Aiya, yell until hoarse oredi also nobody answer. That’s not how it’s done, Marsha girl. We got to look for people to help us cut a deal, but before that, we must become famous first. Go work on that novel!
Hello Lydia and friends! I think we are all normal lah…who doesn’t want to endorse products, if not for cash, at least got free products to use.
May I share my 2 sens here. I read before in The Star that usually, stars (read Elaine Daly, Gloria Ting, Rachel Tan etc) have agents to manage their publicity and manage endorsement contracts too.
There’s like a catalogue of price to endorsement fees. The higher your profile, the better paid.
Even if not for endorsement, there’s appearance fees. Say a beauty line launches a new product, there’s a media conference, and to increase the chance so that the newspapers cover the event, certain ‘stars’ or glam personalities are invited to attend the event.
How to make sure of their star attendance? Give freebies (how about a Channel bag, a diamond brooch? etc) before hand or promise an appearance fees.
For a function like such, it could range from RM 500 to a couple thousand. Not bad eh, just to show Colgate smile at glam event, can get product and cheque.
My cousin, an anchorwoman (newscaster) is one such celebrity. Of course she didn’t tell me how much she’s paid but when I visited her home, my, my, it was filled with products she endorsed (of course she’s no ordinary newscaster, she’s a celebrity who emceeed lots of high profile events. Once, a balak tycoon even flew her by a helicopter to emcee a launch in Sarawak. Five figure fees for emceeeing)
Oh, back to her house, she has the pamper of Osim chair (free), luxury of Tag Huer (free), branded cosmetics and even branded lingerie.
I shall not mention her name but I certainly respect her because
it’s not like every Tom, Dick or nancy gets to receive such treatment. When a company invites someone to use their products, or wants that someone to be associated with their prestigious brand, there must be certain image they sought after. Very likely looks but equally important, talent. My cousin is very talented and PR savvy.
Look at M’ian Idol Jac. She’s everywhere. Mawi, Daniel etc.
Well, that’s my 2 sens worth. Actually, in all honesty, I’m not shy to admit that I also hope to earn something by the mere mention of my name. But at the moment, my share market still not high-lah. Slowly-lah…maybe, ada rezeki nanti.
But for now, if you tune in to Red fm’s 6 to 10am (weekday) slot of “Beauty and the Beast” programme, ahem, ahem, you can hear my voice endorsing their programme. And at the same time, advertising my book-lor…aiyah, they scratch my back, I scratch their back-lah.
Anyway, Lydia, you are also an endorsee. Remember, you endorsed my backside, oppsss, I mean my website.
Well, that’s the start of something already, right?
When you endorse bigger things, don’t forget me, OK?
may be i can endorse mouse pads, oh yes, dont forget to remember gynko ! that’ll be the day!
Yvonne, thanks for sharing. I think I can guess who that celebrity cousin of yours is. “When you endorse bigger things, don’t forget me, OK?” – haha, I should be saying that to you cos you’re on radio oredi, I not yet. Mmm, I wonder if Mix Fm or Light & Easy needs someone to endorse their breakfast show?
I think your “share market” is definitely much higher than anyone I know, so you’re more likely to get a yummy deal. You’ve got the right package, mah.
Anyway, it helps to know the right people. They can help to open doors cos they’ve got big feet. Right?
KT, Gingko that’s a good one. Mouse pads, ermm….
BTW what happened to your blog? Everytime I masuk, my Firefox says it encounters problem and closes everything. I think it’s the music cos my church website which also has a hymn which starts when you log in, also gave me the same problem.
If I were famous, I’d endorse Nescafe and all those coffee shops and mamaks who helped me make it through university….
Oh, and world peace.
eyeris, Nescafe, I second. World peace : you tink you’re a beauty queen, izzit?