Is "George Clooney" just a PR branding exercise?

I've taken this from another thread about a book about George. I thought Lorna made some interesting points that might make an interesting discussion that's not all about his girlfriends!

LornaDoone wrote:comments on both the forums about the function of PR firms in relation to the stars was spot on to comments the author has made in his introduction.

Fer instance...

Spoiler:

We had a long discussion on that very topic over many months on this forum.

One of the other topics in the introduction is titled: "Star as a Reflection of Cultural Value"

I believe this section really speaks to much of what I've said over the years. That a star's actions in their personal life DOES have the potential to affect their career longevity.

He speaks of two examples that can be perceived to have had a negative impact on the star's "brand." Tom Cruise and his ties to Scientology and "...Mel Gibson's alleged problems with alcohol, domestic violence, and accusations of racism..."

I've often spoken about the choices that George has made that have had the potential to damage his brand.

I agree sometimes bad publicity is hard to overcome. Look at Angelina Jolie...she has done so much good but there are people who still reference her past ---they think she stole Brad from JA and her wild comments when she was young still come back to haunt her.

I think saying that George Clooney is just a PR exercise is too simplistic (and I understand that's not at all what you're saying).

Sure, there's a whole industry around stars and in some ways he has to carefully maintain his image, but there's also a time when a star gets to be big enough that a lot of the nonsense falls by the wayside.

I think George is at that stage and has been for some time. He's banked enough goodwill in the world that barring a truly spectacular fall from grace (and I don't see him pulling a Mel Gibson any time soon) that he'll always be A-list.

The only things that would damage him would be seriously illegal and repugnant behaviour. Other than that, he's riding high. He can admit to alcoholism, drug use, whatever, and he'll get by. The years of womanising haven't done any damage to him and that's something usually nobody gets a free pass on.

sillygirl wrote:I agree sometimes bad publicity is hard to overcome. Look at Angelina Jolie...she has done so much good but there are people who still reference her past ---they think she stole Brad from JA and her wild comments when she was young still come back to haunt her.

See, I'd say AJ is a great example of easily overcoming bad publicity. She's admitted to doing drugs, she's dated weirdos, hell, she kissed her own brother and then 'stole' another woman's husband. Still massively famous, still working, still making lots of money, still one of the best known actresses of our age.

No matter which way you cut it, she's hugely successful in every way you can look at it: money, name recognition, column inches, people talking about her, being part of Hollywood history and myth.

I don't know that she "easily" overcame bad publicity. It was more a matter of working at putting out more "good" publicity.

Not to disparage her work with the UN - I do believe her actions and participation are based on a true feeling of trying to make a difference and to help women and children. I don't think her actions are solely based on what good PR she might get from it.

But it doesn't hurt that it gives her positive PR and I doubt she's oblivious to that outcome.

Honestly I think that a lot of the so called casual remarks that are made, there are a certain group that not only believe them; but perpetuate them and even edit according to their own ideas. It’s like;

So and So cheated on his wife, that story goes on and on when it comes out the other end; poor So and So no only cheated he had a whole other family or whatever people wanted to add to the original story. We might just as well throw him in jail because; he also must have done something illegal. Maybe we should just hang him because he in fact did kill his wife with that transgression.

I feel like this has happened so many times to not only George but other celebrities. This is really not fair at all. I think that this makes them a lot more wary of not only the press but the public also.
People seem to think that if they can make someone else look black enough it makes their own persona better. In my opinion it makes them look worse however not everyone sees things the same.

When I lived in FL after we came out of mass they had coffee and doughnuts. I was standing there talking to Father. He said, “Many times, some of the older women would say why do I have to go to confession I didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t they realize all this gossiping that they do about others is a very big sin. You are not stealing money you are stealing something more valuable their Good Name.”

That is how I feel about the gossips and what hurts today they don’t care if something is true or not just so that they can fill up their space. JMHO

And people want to read it!

melbert wrote:And people want to read it!

That's the sad part. My Mother "God Rest Her Soul," was not a worldly person. She thought that if it was printed somewhere that mean it was true. I finally gave up trying to explain. Ha Ha

What is the difference between being a "Brand" and being a "PR Branding exercise" ?
Since the beginning of time humans have been hard wired to worship Idols (good and bad). The way I see it nothing has really changed.
It's where we dream of a better day.
With so much "competing" to be our Idol. (remember we are equally attracted to what is bad for us, as good) It's hard to be heard over the digital white noise in this day and age......so we have to "Brand"....It's survival. I don't mean to be offensive but it is... what it is.
The human spirit is always bigger and stronger than the brand, so is George. The Brand is just work....that's all. x

what would he say wrote:What is the difference between being a "Brand" and being a "PR Branding exercise" ?
Since the beginning of time humans have been hard wired to worship Idols (good and bad). The way I see it nothing has really changed.
It's where we dream of a better day.
With so much "competing" to be our Idol. (remember we are equally attracted to what is bad for us, as good) It's hard to be heard over the digital white noise in this day and age......so we have to "Brand"....It's survival. I don't mean to be offensive but it is... what it is.
The human spirit is always bigger and stronger than the brand, so is George. The Brand is just work....that's all. x

Tell that to the folks doing PR for Amanda Bynes, Lindsay Lohan, Donald Trump... sometimes the human spirit fails.

LornaDoone wrote:

what would he say wrote:What is the difference between being a "Brand" and being a "PR Branding exercise" ?
Since the beginning of time humans have been hard wired to worship Idols (good and bad). The way I see it nothing has really changed.
It's where we dream of a better day.
With so much "competing" to be our Idol. (remember we are equally attracted to what is bad for us, as good) It's hard to be heard over the digital white noise in this day and age......so we have to "Brand"....It's survival. I don't mean to be offensive but it is... what it is.
The human spirit is always bigger and stronger than the brand, so is George. The Brand is just work....that's all. x

Tell that to the folks doing PR for Amanda Bynes, Lindsay Lohan, Donald Trump... sometimes the human spirit fails.

To me a brand is something you create through your own efforts and then protect. A "pr branding exercise" is when it is decided you are going to be the next big thing and then work at it mainly through publicity, not talent (a la Paris Hilton, Kardashians, and a lot of other reality stars, ingenues, etc.). Some may eventually move past it and some don't. Some start out achieving something through their own efforts and then get sucked into trying to be something else (Ryan Lochte, etc.). I would call George a brand and Stacy a PR branding exercise.

Hmm, I think you can't have a brand without a branding exercise. At some point someone somewhere sat down and thought out what brand Clooney would be about.

I was going to say that whoever did it managed to keep his image very close to his real persona but of course I don't know George so that perception I have of him is forged by the branding experts. And very well done to them, I say.

It doesn't work so well comparing an older star such as George with the younger ones because the world has moved on since he started in the industry. Although, having said that, the idea of making someone famous purely through publicity is as old as Hollywood. There were any number of starlets and actresses who became known as a result of PR stunts.

ALL excellent answers!