I’m driving home from an errand this morning and hear an ad on the radio for John Elway Furniture at SAMS Club.
Really? John Elway, the Hall of Fame quarterback? Has a furniture collection? Did he design it?
I thought it was a little hokey when Cindy Crawford teamed up with Rooms To Go with a signature line of furniture, but John Elway?
The parent company is Bassett. So, I picture myself sitting around the board room table at Bassett Corporate going, “Sales are down folks. What are we going to do to jump start our growth? We need a name, a gimmick…” Snap, snap, snap of fingers. “Think people, think.”
“Hey, I know,” says young, eager marketing exec. “Let’s call a football player and design a signature line of furniture.”
“Yeah, that’s the ticket.” More finger snapping. “Someone famous.”
“John Elway.”
Okay, maybe it didn’t go down quite like that, or maybe John Elway was on the golf course one day and said, “Hum, I’d like to design furniture. Or at least have my name on a line of furniture.”
Does it make me run out and buy furniture from Sam’s? No! It feels insincere really. I’m curious, but not intrigued. Not motivated to buy.
Now, a line of sportswear or footballs for the kids, or even a BBQ grill or something, but inside the house furniture. Nope. Do not buy it.
Now, say, Nate Berkus comes along with a signature like of furniture for Sam’s, I’m buying it. Interestingly enough, you don’t see Nike signing up Nate to launch a signature sportswear line or footballs.
I thought the purpose of using a Celeb in marketing was to capitalize on their association with certain things – say sports, or decorating, or music.
It’d be like me asking John Elway or Nate Berkus to endorse one of my books. Cool, but really? No one is going to buy it cause what do they have to do with southern chick lit.
I don’t know, maybe it’s just me.
Comments 8
I could list several “guys” that would buy furniture if it was associated with a Sports figure. You’re just a “girl”, and not thinking like a batchelor.
I dont care who designes something. If I like it, I buy it.
Maybe a Hillary Clinton line of lamps and ashtrays that are aerodynamically designed for distance and impact.
I feel a top 10 list coming on.
By the way, my wife just finished Lost in Nash Vegas. It was really annoying, because I’m trying to read Germ next to her, and she’s laughing every three seconds. Stop that.
Now the poor woman is reading her five free books from some Oklahoma contest. This year she got secular romantic suspense. Okay, a leading man named “Stone” whose “eyes are as hard as his name”???
And I’m not published yet??? No justice I tell you.
Ron, too funny about your wife’s books for the contest. Secular romance is it’s own beast, let me tell you. You can be proud to be pre pubbed in comparison.
Beka, would you buy sportswear from Nate Berkus?
And, I think that’s my point, you buy furniture because you like it, not because of a name. 😉
The JE furniture is really cute! Jeane Wynn
Being just a “dumb o’ Guy”…uh I just have to comment….though I blush….uh….John Elway I know…but uh….well….Uh Nate who? ;-P Really, Bekah has hit the nail on the head. (Hi Bekah!)
Will
Uh, Nate who?? My point! I dont pay attention to names.
Condolences Ron Estrada, secular romance is sooo bogus
My first thought when I heard that commercial was, “How silly! I guess John needs some dough or is getting bored and wanted a furniture line”. I won’t be making any special trips into Sam’s to check out the new line. But, I can see how this would market to guys…most don’t want to think about buying furniture so if Elway’s name is on it, it must be “manly man” stuff, right? This gets wifey and hubby in there looking at it together (and maybe p/u a BBQ on the way out). 🙂
I’m doing the “Nate who?” thing too. 🙂 And I’M the one married to a sports nut? Yep.