How to get your startup noticed by celebrities
Everyone wants to get their product seen, especially by those in influential positions with huge followings. Getting your product used, worn or endorsed by a celebrity is the holy grail of PR - but how can you cut through the noise and get noticed?
Bore Off is a clothing range with attitude, and one which also does good. Its 'Bore Off Cancer' campaign is raising money for Macmillan Cancer Relief, and has attracted the attention of some properly massive celebrities (Kate Moss, anyone?) We spoke to founder Lee McKervey about how he got celebrities noticing his product.
When did you first notice celebrities wearing your product?
The first celebrity to notice us was Sam Branson. He was very supportive of our cause and even wrote an article about us for Virgin Unite, so that really got the ball rolling for us and turned a few heads when we approached other celebrities.
How did you go about encouraging celebrities to get involved?
Sharing my own personal story of losing my mum to cancer and then having a strong affiliation with Macmillan brought a lot of credibility to the campaign. Richard Branson also shared his support on social media by tweeting an article about us on Virgin Unite. Also at this time we had Sam Branson, Kate Moss and Stella McCartney on board supporting us - having that level of support helped us to get more celebs on board. I mean with them supporting us, who wouldn't?
What celebrities are you most thrilled about getting on board with your campaign?
Sam Branson, supermodel Kate Moss, designer Stella McCartney, and singer Alexandra Burke.
What has the impact been on your business?
It's led to some amazing brand awareness, a lot more than I could have expected. We're seeing a lot of love on social, and really getting noticed.
How do you choose what celebrities are a great fit for your brand?
At this stage it’s all about creating brand awareness for #BoreOffCancer, which means we're looking to make an impact - so people with a great social media presence, but also those who align with our brand values, and people that are either Macmillan supporters, or who have been affected by cancer in some way. We plan to have dedicated Bore Off fashion brand ambassadors in the near future; these will be celebrities that represent a hint of cheeky attitude!
Any tips for businesses who want to get their product noticed by celebrities?
I would like to be a fashion brand known for doing good. It's not all about making huge profits from people - I believe that we all have a duty to try and help each other in some way. So my advice would be to create a product or brand based on helping others. There are a lot of nice celebrities out there that are willing to help worthy causes - I have proven this already - plus it gives you, the brand owner, a sense of gratitude that you are helping others. So in my opinion it’s a win win!
