Bizarre Celebrity Ads
Infamous celeb ads that left us amused, bemused and downright confused!
PA PhotosTiger Woods stunned the relatively scandal-free golfing world last year, when it emerged the married father-of-three had engaged in saucy trysts with up to 15 women. In a controversial TV ad that aired to coincide with his return to golf, sports giants Nike thought it a good idea to feature a sombre Tiger listening to the voice of his dead father asking “did you learn anything?” Some said it was cutting-edge marketing. Others, just plain creepy.
PA PhotosBoyband extraordinaire JLS are set to launch their own brand of condoms to encourage their fans to Just Love Safe. And when you consider the fact that the lads “get offered sex at least five times a day," who can blame them? We wonder which of the boys will get the flavoured variety, and who will bag the ‘XXL’?!
PA PhotosHow do you get one legendarily-cool, Oscar-winning actor like Benicio Del Toro and take away his credibility in one fell swoop? Have him play a jewel thief out to rid a bank vault of their 75 million Magnum Gold ice-creams, that’s how.
Rex FeaturesBack in the day when Pepsi bagged every superstar on the planet to promote their sugary fare, the soft-drink giant quickly snapped up teen Britney Spears in 2001, in a multi-million dollar advertising deal. “It’s such an honour,” the Toxic singer gushed…until she was caught on camera guzzling arch-rivals Coca Cola. Oddly, Pepsi weren’t best pleased and terminated her contract.
WennWe were used to seeing glamorous (and no doubt gratuitous) shots of David Beckham, usually shirtless and smouldering, advertising underwear, sunglasses and even fragrance. But what enticed the world’s first celebrity footballer to promote Sharpies Marker Pens in a spectacularly wooden TV spot, we’ll never know.
PA PhotosBack when Vinnie Jones was making a name for himself in Hollywood, drinks company Barcardi signed him up to front their Welcome To The Latin Quarter campaign, and we were treated to colourful TV spots showing the hard man mixing a mean mojito and wiggling his hips with Latino lovelies. Sadly, just after the ads aired, Jones was involved in mid-flight rumble, and rum giant Barcardi promptly dropped him. Apparently, slapping a fellow passenger and telling him you “could have him killed” doesn’t suggest ‘responsible drinking’.
PA PhotosWhen one thinks of Donald Trump – steaks are not what immediately springs to mind. A fat bank balance, sure. Bad comb-overs, no doubt. But “The World’s Greatest Steaks”? If you have $200 to hand, you can find out for yourself.
Rex FeaturesNespresso Coffee saw a 35.5% increase in British sales when the smooth, rich and equally-delicious George Clooney signed on to promote their beans. The tongue-in-cheek ads were as stylish and sexy as the Hollywood heavyweight himself. If only every Nespresso machine came with a Clooney…
PA PhotosAfter being the face of punk for almost three decades, The Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten gave up growing old disgracefully in London, moved to the rurals, donned a tartan plaid dressing gown and began touting butter for Country Life. ANARCHY!
PA Photos“McDonald's market share went up 25 per cent when I walked into those offices and changed their image," said Justin Timberlake back in 2003. The Sexy Back star was reportedly paid $6m for his “I’m lovin’ it” tagline, but all those Big Macs left a bad taste in the singer’s mouth, and he recently admitted to regretting the McDonalds deal. We’re not convinced those ‘McBeats’ helped his credibility as an artist either.
Rex FeaturesSir Cliff Richard sang of his love for Mistletoe and Wine, so it was only a matter of time before the clean-living legend started bottling his own plonk for all those Devil Women out there. His Vida Nova vino has even bagged the ever-youthful crooner a few international awards. And we thought all he drank was milk. Who'd have thought it?
Rex FeaturesBack in 2004 when Kerry Katona was still a national treasure, she illustrated for the masses just "why mums go to Iceland" whilst the bargain supermarket paid her in party platters. Unfortunately, after slurring her way through a series of live interviews, the mother-of-four was caught on camera snorting cocaine, and Iceland promptly pulled their deal.
PA PhotosWorld class footballer Edison Arantes do Nascimento, AKA Pelé, retired from the beautiful game back in the 80s and today, focuses on a different kind of ball control. The Brazilian legend now keeps his WAG in diamonds by promoting erectile dysfunction the world over. And we thought he was good at 'keepie uppies'!
Rex FeaturesIt sounds like every red-blooded male’s dream, right? A scantily-clad Paris Hilton seen rubbing a cool can of Brazilian beer all over her body. But the Rio ad men's saucy scheme soon backfired, when the notoriously immodest socialite’s TV spot for Devassa Bem Loura beer was canned for being too sexy.
PA Photos"Make mine milk" says Pixie Lott, sporting a milk moustache on posters all over the UK. The Mama Do singer is part of a new £7.5m initiative urging Brits to guzzle more low-fat milk and is "honoured to be a part of it." Whether 'all the boys and the girls' go mad for it remains to be seen. She's less scary than those Cravendale cows, that's for sure!
Rex FeaturesR-Pantz, anyone? Possibly our favourite piece of movie memorabilia EVER, what Twilight fan wouldn't want Robert Pattinson's face on their underwear? We said ON people - behave!
Rex FeaturesRemember that time in the mid-90s when you couldn’t even walk into your local supermarket without being propositioned by a life-sized cut-out of the Spice Girls? Kids’ lunchboxes nationwide were ‘Spiced’ when the girl-group signed on to promote Walkers Crisps, Cadbury’s Chocolate, Chupa Chups lollipops and Pepsi simultaneously, in deals that reportedly amassed them £300m in 1997 alone.
Rex FeaturesOMG! Forget billboards, R&B superstar Usher preferred to put his image where our money is. Who needs a gold card when you can pull his blinging, ab-tastic plastic from your purse?
Rex FeaturesRock-stars know all too well the dangers of gold-diggers, but this legend is more concerned with digging for his own treasures. It's fair to say Rolling Stone Bill Wyman's signature Metal Detector gathers no moss - strictly Ruby Tuesdays.
Big PicturesBack in 2007, Good Girl Gone Bad Rihanna had everyone singing ‘ella, ella, ella’ with her number 1 smash, Umbrella. Cue the launch a range of Rihanna Brollies. That’s right; you can stand under her umbrella for just £25.
Rex FeaturesLegendary film critic Barry Norman made the move from film to food in 1998 with his own range of pickled onions. His aptly named Pickleodeon are widely regarded as the strongest vinegary alliums around - perhaps they should come with their own '18' certificate?
