Celebrity Sell Out

Why don't we just buy some in Greggs Mum?

Ok I admit it, sometimes when I’m writing this blog or reading other posts I don’t know who the ‘celebrities’ are. Mel Slade anyone? But this is the first time I haven’t heard of the brand. Has anyone out there heard of Green’s “the country’s number one mixes brand and experts in baking”?

Greens has brought in Melanie Sykes to launch a new initiative to get people baking and raise money for the NSPCC. To cut to the chase Green Tuesday seems to be about making cakes, selling them and giving some of the money to the charity.

The NSPCC is a very worthy charity (there are many that are not) so lets put to one side the likelihood this campaign is not going to have any cut-through whatsoever and concentrate on the involvement of Ms Sykes. I have to admit to having a soft spot for the ex-model who made herself famous in that Boddington’s ad (why can’t they make anything like that anymore).

I was also present at an In-store Marketing awards she hosted where she gamely attempted to fend off the attempts of the POP printers to grab a buttock cupcake during winners’ photographs.

But despite this illustrious history there’s a certain inevitability in her appearing in this sort of campaign.

I feel like I’ve written tons of these mum stories already. Just look at Nell McAndrew (Pampers), Sophie Ellis-Bextor (Shloer), Sheree Murphy (Pampers), Baby Spice (Hovis, it’s good for you apparently) and Kerry Katona (Iceland). Former pin-ups from the 90s who now have kids, so rather than appear in ads targeting thrusting young lads they turn their hands to endorsing stuff to mums. What a transformation.

Maybe the answer could be linked to another recent CSO post…

Why don’t these women appear in marketing campaigns to men anymore? Don’t tell me all those boys who were dribbling over Loaded when it first came out have now gone onto Megan Fox. Yes we’ve all got a bit older (although I hasten to add I am younger than Melanie Sykes) but surely there’s a role for these girls that does not involve advertising cake mixes.

Furthermore the kids are getting dragged into it too. Prepare for press-release quote heaven as Mel takes it up: “I love baking with my sons - it’s a great way to spend quality time together and have fun.  Green’s cake mixes are the perfect recipe for success to keep even the littlest baker in the house happy!  Now everyone can rise to the challenge every ‘Green’s Tuesday’ and bake a cake to make a difference. Whether it is cakes, cookies or muffins, raise money for charity and also a smile with a tasty token of affection that can be shared by all around you.”

Well good on you Mel but I hope the kids used in the promo shots aren’t your own. My father worked in advertising and took it upon himself to pressgang my five-year-old self into a Volvo press ad. Installed as the youngest component of a fake family the whole afternoon remains one of the longest of my life. Still all that looking directly at the lens and demanding my advert mother gave me piggybacks had one advantage, I was never asked to do it again.

Not that I would object to giving Mel a piggyback!

Anyhow looking at the campaign itself, the decision to use Mel is all very nice but she is hardly your typical cake maker. This is statement made without any research or factual back-up but I think the bulk of people who make cakes are quite old. Most mums her age don’t have time to make cakes let alone sell them.

Still it beats that ridiculous show she appeared in with Des O’Connor.