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Brad Pitt's Newest Role? Brand Pitt
By Matt Schiering
Brandweek
September 11, 2006
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/magazine..._id=1003119305
By Matt Schiering
Brandweek
September 11, 2006
Thelma & Louise. Consistently listed among People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People, the Pitt brand could most closely be associated with attractiveness, if not the personification of attraction itself.
Pitt then endeavored to distance himself from the looks-driven image through roles in darker movies like Twelve Monkeys and Fight Club. One might even suggest Pitt's Seven Years in Tibet role, which got him barred from entering China, was a precursor to his most recent incarnation.
The new millennium brought with it the tabloid-enriched engagement and marriage to Aniston of TV's Friends fame. It also seemed to put a more mature spin on the Pitt brand. The Pitt evolution from "hunk" to romantic lead is reflected if not enhanced by his film choices during their union.
In the midst of it all, Pitt has worked hard to distance his brand from the tawdry fray. He has diverted attention from his would-be role as meaty prize to that of champion of Africa's downtrodden. From actor to activist. From philanderer to philanthropist. What the media would term spin we marketers would surely classify as an astute attempt at brand repositioning.
As with any brand, time will tell if the "new, improved Brad" will be well received by his previously adoring, now fence-riding public. As with any brand, the strength of and commitment to this newest "campaign" could make all the difference in the long-term viability of Brand Pitt.
Pitt then endeavored to distance himself from the looks-driven image through roles in darker movies like Twelve Monkeys and Fight Club. One might even suggest Pitt's Seven Years in Tibet role, which got him barred from entering China, was a precursor to his most recent incarnation.
The new millennium brought with it the tabloid-enriched engagement and marriage to Aniston of TV's Friends fame. It also seemed to put a more mature spin on the Pitt brand. The Pitt evolution from "hunk" to romantic lead is reflected if not enhanced by his film choices during their union.
In the midst of it all, Pitt has worked hard to distance his brand from the tawdry fray. He has diverted attention from his would-be role as meaty prize to that of champion of Africa's downtrodden. From actor to activist. From philanderer to philanthropist. What the media would term spin we marketers would surely classify as an astute attempt at brand repositioning.
As with any brand, time will tell if the "new, improved Brad" will be well received by his previously adoring, now fence-riding public. As with any brand, the strength of and commitment to this newest "campaign" could make all the difference in the long-term viability of Brand Pitt.
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