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Thursday, November 21, 2013 METRO HERALD
As Elvis Presley’s image rights are sold, many stars are bigger in death than life
Always on our minds... still Dead famous Bob Monkhouse
The comic’s family gave approval, after his death in 2003, for him to be used in a TV and poster campaign for prostate cancer. A soundalike spoke over archive footage of the performer, saying: ‘What killed me kills one man per hour in Britain. That’s even more than my wife’s cooking’
by AiDAn RADnEDgE
Bing Crosby The crooner turned up in a 2010 advert for Argos, with real footage of the singer merged with that of an impersonator beat-boxing. Crosby fans called for it to be banned
Albert Einstein Steve McQueen
A scene from The Great Escape had Griff Rhys Jones added, to advertise Holsten Pils in 1984. Footage of McQueen has also featured in adverts for TAG Heuer, Ford Puma and Mustang. The TAG Heuer promo mocked up McQueen losing the Monaco Grand Prix to Lewis Hamilton
Genius Bread’s 30-second TV ad in 2010 showed an actor playing Einstein drifting into a reverie about bread
Forbes Magazine last month published its latest annual list Forbes Magazine last month of the highest-earning dead published its latest annual list ofcelebrities the highest-earning dead celebrities for the year: 1 Michael Jackson £99million Elvis Presley £34million 12Michael Jackson €118million 23Elvis Presley €40.5million Charles Schulz £23million 34Charles Schulz Elizabeth Taylor€27.5million £15million 45Elizabeth Taylor €18million Bob Marley £11million 56Bob Marley €13million Marilyn Monroe £9million 67Marilyn Monroe €11million John Lennon £7million 78= John Lennon €8.5million Albert Einstein £6million 8= €7million 8=Albert Bettie Einstein Page £6million 10=Bettie Theodor (Dr Seuss) 8= PageGeisel €7million 10= Theodor Geisel (Dr Seuss) £5.5million €6.5million 10= Steve McQueen £5.5million 10= Steve McQueen €6.5million
John Lennon
Citroen featured the murdered ex-Beatle in a 2010 TV ad but angered fans by over-dubbing him with what sounded like an impersonation. Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono faced an online backlash, prompting son Sean to defend her on Twitter
THE KING is dead – long live the ker-ching. Elvis Presley has sold out, 36 years after his death. His intellectual property rights have been bought by a brands agency that already owns Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali for marketing purposes. The purchase, approved by Elvis’s family, gives Authentic Brands Group control of the Presley name, appearance, music, photos and footage. His ex-wife, Priscilla, announced an expansive new campaign to ‘promote the legacy of Elvis’ and ‘enhance his image all over the world’. His Graceland home will still be owned by his daughter, Lisa Marie. In 2012, the Elvis licensing business generated about $32million (€24m) a year in revenue. Former owners Core Media Group took control in 2005, but have now let Elvis leave an empire that includes American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. Lee Dawson, head of the Elvis Express fan club, has a suspicious mind: ‘If Elvis is going to be used in mainstream ads more and more, I hope it will be tasteful and creditable.’ Victoria Molloy, who runs the Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain, said: ‘The more Elvis on TV, the better.’ Elvis made only one advert during his lifetime – for Southern Maid doughnuts. It was a radio promotion in 1954.
Legacy loot: Some of the high earners whose images have been used, and right: A little less conversation, a little more transaction baby, for Elvis Presley ®
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