28.12.2014 Views

Brand Failures

Brand Failures

Brand Failures

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

192 <strong>Brand</strong> failures<br />

69 Planet Hollywood<br />

Big egos, weak brand<br />

Celebrity endorsements can help greatly in boosting sales of a product or<br />

service. For instance, when Oprah Winfrey recommended books via her<br />

branded book club, they were guaranteed bestseller status. Some brands also<br />

benefit from having their founder evolve into a celebrity, à la Richard<br />

Branson.<br />

Then there are cases of celebrities turning their hand to business ventures.<br />

David Bowie lent his name to USABancshares.com, an Internet bank where<br />

you could get Bowie-branded cheque books and credit cards. Manchester<br />

United’s Sir Alex Ferguson was a shareholder at toptable.co.uk, a restaurant<br />

information and booking service. U2 own a hotel and a nightclub. Bill<br />

Wyman owned his own restaurant.<br />

One of the most famous of these celebrity-backed ventures was the<br />

Hollywood-themed eaterie, Planet Hollywood. Boasting such high-profile<br />

investors as Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger<br />

and Sylvester Stallone, the chain was guaranteed maximum exposure<br />

when it launched in 1991. The company expanded quickly and soon had<br />

nearly 80 restaurants worldwide. In 1999, however, the company went<br />

bankrupt and numerous restaurants were shut down.<br />

‘Planet Hollywood has gone belly up,’ declared wine critic Malcolm Gluck<br />

in the Guardian. ‘Cows, vegetarians, food critics and assorted jealous<br />

restaurateurs will be rejoicing at the news that the most hyped chain of<br />

eateries in the history of cuisine has been roasted alive.’ As soon as the news

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!