By Stevens Muendo
It was bad news for one of Kenya’s leading showbiz acts, Nameless, when word broke out that he had lost an endorsement deal worth a fortune.
Nameless had been poised to land a lucrative MTN endorsement deal as the product’s face and was expected to appear in their outdoor adverts.
Mobile service provider MTN has offered some of Uganda’s most lucrative endoresment contracts in the past. Leading artistes like Bobi Wine and Bebe Cool have over the years fought over the contracts.
Nameless was set to clinch the MTN deal but word has it that Jose Chameleone campaigned against him. When contacted, Nameless said that he did not have a clue about anything that happened behind his back.
"I don’t know whether it was Chameleone or another artiste but MTN told me that unfortunately, they could not use me to endorse the product," he told Pulse.
The Malta billboard Esther Wahome graces. |
Nameless, who is the only non-Ugandan singer in the country to work with MTN had earlier landed a similar six months contract for shows and was about to land yet another contract.
Uproar in entertainment
And Nameless case is not an isolated one. Celebrity endorsements in East Africa have created bitter rivalry among top artistes. Zain, Motorola and Orange haveput aside millions, specifically for celebrity endorsements.
There was an uproar from a section of entertainment world some months back when telephone service providers Orange, settled on Jua Cali for an endorsement worth Sh10 million.
Several celebrities had pitched for the deal but it was Genge rapper Jua Cali who walked away with it.
Orange argued that the Jua Cali had the right image. His identity and lifestyle that stood out was factored in the search.
Recently, mountains of scorn poured on gospel singer Esther Wahome after EABL picked her – alongside Tanzania’s AY and DJ Adrian to endorse Malta Guinness.
Religious groups argued that Wahome’s move to endorse such a brand associated with alcohol manufacturers was in conflict with her faith. Others argued that more popular secular celebrities should have been given the deal.
The KORA nominated songbird, who has been gracing billboards, trashed the criticism.
Esther Wahome. |
In a recent interview, Wahome lashed out at her religious critics asking, "How many pastors have declined to take an offering from EABL?"
They come at a price
It’s now a question of how the major corporates decide on which celebrity is most qualified to endorse their products.
Celebrity endorsement comes at a price. It’s a subject that never fails to stir debate. As our artistes start earning enormous sums of money through endorsements, the argument is that the sacrifices give a brand an instant boost and personality package which otherwise would have taken years and millions to establish, with less guarantee of results.
General policies place great importance on the lifestyle of the celebrity outside his or her domain of fame. People usually associate with role model characteristics the celebrity displays beyond their achievement on the field, something any company will be careful to factor while signing such a deal.
Celebrities can devalue a brand through actions like use of drugs, violence or immoral behaviour, or even the use of foul language in public.
But there are also other terms and conditions. Chameleone and Jua Cali, for example, are expected not to use any other mobile lines apart from the MTN and Orange brands respectfully.
"I’m not expected to drink alcohol in public during the period I endorse Malta Guinness," said AY.
It is said that wherever Wahome goes nowadays, she orders a bottle of Malta Guinness as part of the campaign in convincing the public that she really believes in it.
However, there are pitfalls of celebrity endorsements as it is now emerging that most celebrities, locally and internationally, don’t use the products they advertise thereby breaking the terms.
Faithful to competition
Last year, a popular singing group lost their contract with a mobile telephone service provider after investigations showed that they had remained loyal to the competitor whose lines they had declined to discard.
Jua Cali and the Orange boss. |
Some years ago in the US, a lawsuit filed by a consumer group forced sports giant Nike to admit Tiger Woods does not use the Nike Tour Accuracy golf balls he is paid £694,000 a year to endorse.
In his recent run of victories, he has used a modified ball, created specially for him. The lawsuit, claims Nike was misleading golfers into thinking they were playing with the same ball as Woods, and demands the company returns its ‘ill-gotten gains’ to the public.
Pepsi used singer Michael Jackson until damaging claims about his sex life came to light.
And at some point, Bobi Wine nearly lost a handsome deal with a leading telephone service provider simply because he accepted to sing in a major gig sponsored by a rival service provider.
"The truth is, I don’t always use the company’s products as expected. But this is the last thing my sponsors should ever discover," a local celeb who signed a deal with a clothing line told Pulse.
"I try as much to wear the products, but as much as I want to push the products before my fans, I also have a life and obviously, other preferences," admitted the singer.
"You want to convince me that Jua Cali does not have a Safaricom or Zain line just because Orange gave him all that money," scoffed music fan Meshack Nzau, 24.
Unethical winning ways
Regardless, in the chase for these millions, celebs are said to be resorting to unethical means to win endorsements contracts.
Cartels have been formed between the relevant PR firms, leading music recording houses and individual singers for given gains. Pulse can now reveal that some of the contracts have been won after closed door negotiations.
Just the otherday, a company is said to have settled for a deal at a lesser fee than what had been originally budgeted when a local singer asked for Sh2 million less than what his main competitor had settled for.
"I was approached and after extensive deliberations, I was assured that the deal was mine only to learn later that the guy went and bargained to get the deal for Sh2 million less. That is being cheap," said the disgruntled competitor.
"You don’t expect me to lock a deal of Sh5 million and then leave over Sh3 million to the cartel behind it. And for three years, I will be out there alone, pledging my loyalty to the product," added the celebrated male singer.
"This is business. You expect major bargains to be involved in cutting such deals. I may not know of any case of corrupt deals but just like any other sector, you’d likely imagine that corruption is sometimes involved in deciding the final outcome," says events organiser Big Ted.
