Brand By Association: Nepotism vs. Marriage

By SAMANTHA ETTUS
Scripps Howard News Service
12-APR-06

There is a reason why every great looking kid in America is encouraged to hop on the next bus to Hollywood?.From Charlize Theron to Tom Cruise to Salma Hayek, most of Hollywood got their first big break due to great looks.  Yet a few major celebrities follow a different career path, breaking through based solely on connections and the press has historically been very hard on them (though simultaneously fascinated). Kevin Federline and Tori Spelling are two examples of stars made famous by association. This week we take a look at how they came into the public eye and their potential staying power.

Kevin Federline

Kevin Federline's rags to riches story reads like a musical fairy tale: Backup dancer catches pop star's eye, pop star is smitten, marries him prematurely, bankrolls his immature behavior, and he laughs all the way to the bank.  After marrying Britney Spears, K-Fed quickly increased his profile by leveraging his wife's fame to co-produce/create/star in the couples' short lived and embarrassing reality show, Kevin and Britney: Chaotic.  Since then, he's become known as "K-Fed," living it up in five star resorts, mooching off his pop sensation wife, neglecting his parental responsibilities, and now launching a career as a solo artist cum rap star.  But though the media fully recognizes Federline's shameless exploitation of Britney's star power and shows him not an ounce of respect, the tabloids can't stop talking about him.  As a result of all the free publicity, Federline's new album "Playing with Fire," to be released in August, is bound to be a hit.  Whether people listen for the freak show factor, the kitsch factor or simple curiosity, the interest in K-Fed is clearly growing at a rapid pace.   To his credit, K-Fed has smartly used the internet to promote himself, posting a profile on community site MySpace.com, a strategy which has already generated more than 800,000 visitors.  So though his brand has been built by association, Federline will make at least a one-time splash, and while it may be a gigantic belly flop, it will surely come with a hefty payday.

Kevin Federline's Celebrity A$$$ets

Tori Spelling

Tori became "NoTORIous" (the name of her new VH1 show) as the least attractive of the teen girls on Beverly Hills, 90210.  It was widely assumed that she "earned" her spot in the cast by being the daughter of series creator and producer Aaron Spelling, but Tori has since worked hard to prove her acting abilities. After 90210, Spelling starred in a variety of TV movies and independent films, none of which were associated with her legendary father and her performances received some complementary reviews.  Now, with the launch of her own show, Tori has finally turned the tables, joining in on the fun by mocking her rise to the top as the daughter of one of Hollywood's most famous TV moguls.  Tori's willingness to poke fun at herself is paying off, and her timing couldn't be better, as she has slyly managed to deflect attention from her torrid off camera affairs. After her million dollar wedding to Charlie Shanian, Tori unceremoniously dumped him for movie of the week co-star Dean McDermott, and added insult to Shanian's injury when she became engaged to her new boyfriend only months later.  Yet the amazing reviews of So NoTorious have overshadowed such unseemly personal business, and Tori is proving that nepotism can no longer be credited for her success.

Tori Spelling's Celebrity A$$$$ets

Remember: the most dependable road to the top is to treat your brand as your greatest asset.
 
(Samantha Ettus' second book, "The Experts' Guide to Life at Home" (Random House) is now in bookstores. She welcomes your comments at Samantha@celebrityassets.com.)