Spokesperson fiasco #13: Akon’s sexy dancing for Verizon
Posted by: in Marketing and AdvertisingFiled under: Marketing and advertising, Verizon Communications (VZ)
This post is part of a series on celebrity spokespeople who ended up doing serious harm to the brands they were hired to promote, or vice versa. See how we rank the 20 top spokesperson fiascos.
Hip-hop/R&B artist Akon is the only person to have twice held both the first and second spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. Winner of a Grammy for his hit “Smack That”, he has expanded his repertoire to include producing music and founding his own music production and distribution companies. Such a popular entertainer and entrepreneur would obviously be attractive to a company such as Verizon (NSYE:VZ), looking to hook into the cell-addicted young American.
Akon brought strong ties to the world market, too. Born in Senegal, and raised in New Jersey, a Muslim rumored to have wed multiple women, his exotic background added to his appeal.
Unfortunately, for Verizon, his background failed to properly prepare him to control his on-stage antics or properly estimate the age of his audience. In April of 2007, during a set in Trinidad and Tobago, Akon invited a young lady onto the stage to join him in a simulated sex routine. Unfortunately, the lady proved to be the 15-year-old daughter of a minister. Even more unfortunately, for Akon and Verizon, Akon’s film crew recorded the incident and uploaded it to the internet, where it drew great public censure. Shortly thereafter, Verizon pulled its sponsorship of Akon’s Sweet Escape tour and quit offering his music as ring tones.
Akon’s song “Sorry, Blame it On Me,” is an apology to the young lady at the center of the scandal. Verizon is still waiting for its song of apology.
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