Bizarre as it may seem some people are worth more dead than they were alive. In fact ‘selling the dead’ is a serious business these days.
Recently the licensing rights to Marilyn Monroe’s image were bought for a rumoured $20-30 million by a Canadian marketing firm. This year is the 50th anniversary of Marilyn’s death, but the Monroe ‘brand’ can still be bought and sold as readily as today’s million-pound football transfers. She remains in some people’s view ‘the most iconic personality in the world.’
Not that the Monroe buy-out is record- breaking. In 2008 a US entertainment conglomerate, paid $100 million for an 85 per cent stake in the Elvis Presley estate, which earns an average $50 million annually through advertising, merchandising and entertainment deals.
The Monroe deal is only the latest in a series of legal actions and commercial deals involving her. In America, the images, names and voices of ‘delebs’ (dead celebrities) is a multi-billion-dollar business. As stars’ heirs and agents scrabble with film studios and photographers for the control of lucrative images, one wonders whether it is time for the ethical issues, to be more actively considered alongside financial and legal implications of post-mortem rights to publicity. Should celebrities have the power to control their publicity after death? And why are money making interests always paramount to every other consideration?
Forbes magazine’s list of ‘top earning dead celebrities’ put the total 2009 earnings of Michael Jackson at $275 million, Elvis Presley $60 million, Steve McQueen $6 million and Marilyn Monroe $8 million. Albert Einstein’s earnings, at $10 million ( for the sales of Nike trainers of all things.)
Clearly with the 50th anniversary of her death, the Marilyn Monroe brand is set to go global. Who will profit most is anyone’s guess. In many ways she was treated as little more than a commodity when she was alive. Surely the time has come to show some respect and let her rest in peace or at least in the memories of those she brought happiness to? Or is this just another of the many unacceptable faces of capitalism?
2 comments:
Oh its a wonder what advertising drives in this world. Just think Facebook and Google. Both offering free services, yet raking in the cash by way of the advertising dollars. And tomorrow the big bucks are being spent for super bowl ads. For example, Toyota, in conjunction with Shazam, is giving away two Camry's if you use your smart phone to scan the Shazam icon when it appears as part of the ad. And here Shazam was originally for identifying a song that was playing. Guess there wasn't enough of a cash flow from that. (Oh and yes, I will be scanning. LOL)
I enjoy seeing her likeness . I never tire of her.
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