Oh Audrey!

Audrey Hepburn was a big fan favorite when she was young and when she died her style and movies were instantly referred to as classic. You can easily look at pictures of her so you know what a classy lady would wear but how are you supposed to know what chocolate Audrey would eat? Have no fear my friends for Audrey Hepburn herself has come back from the dead to let us know. No, really, Audrey Hepburn has recently appeared in a commercial for a British chocolate called Galaxy. See for yourself.

http://youtu.be/lnix9BHWJ2g

This isn’t Audrey’s first commercial since her death. In 2006, Hepburn was featured dancing in a Gap commercial. A trend in advertising is to use famous and easily recognizable celebrities posthumously to advertise products. The issue at the center of this is whether or not this practice should be acceptable. Hepburn’s sons’ provided consent for the Galaxy commercial but does this make it ok?

I will say that it is very cool to see some loved celebrities come back from the grave but shouldn’t they be allowed to rest in peace? Because they were celebrities while alive do the same rules apply to them even in death? If so, the question must be asked, who owns the dead? In return for using Hepburn’s image in the Gap commercial, Gap donated a large sum of money to her charity.  However for the Galaxy commercial Hepburn’s sons’ received a payment.

When an actor is featured in a commercial advertising a product it’s usually because they are endorsing the product but how do the dead endorse products if they’re not alive? These people are not still being featured after their deaths however their opinions are not considered nor are they themselves receiving compensation. You have to wonder if there is more than one line being crossed when using posthumous images of celebrities. When are we ever going to let celebrities rest? I believe a good man named Homer Simpson once said, “You celebrities need to realize that the public owns you for life. And after you’re dead, you’ll all be in commercials dancing with vacuum cleaners.” Homer was referring to the Fred Astaire commercial below:

http://youtu.be/U_IeEi4nGVQ

What do you think? Acceptable or unacceptable?

By Melinda Menchaca

References:

Ellin, A. (2013, February 28). Audrey Hepburn sells chocolate from the grave. Retrieved from http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/audrey-hepburn-sells-chocolate-grave-185207727–abc-news-savings-and-investment.html

Usborne, S. (2013, February 24). Audrey Hepuburn advertise Galaxy chocolate bars? Over her dead body! Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/audrey-hepburn-advertisegalaxy-chocolate-bars-over-her-dead-body-8508603.html