6 celebs who jumped into advertising in 2023

Celebrities are increasingly getting into the ad game. Just within the last five years, notables including Kristen Bell, A$AP Rocky, Michael B. Jordan and Tony Hawk have all started their own advertising or production agencies, bringing their personal cultural insights to clients. And 2023 was no exception. Here are some of the latest celebs to jump into the advertising industry. Also read: A new agency aims to reinvent brand-influencer deals See our Year in Review stories here Terry Crews First a player in the NFL, then an actor known for his roles in “White Chicks” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Terry Crews added another job title to his resume this year when he launched Super Serious with creative director Matt O’Rourke and producer Paul Sutton. The agency was behind a stunt at South by Southwest that saw Crews revive his satirical Camacho character from the movie “Idiocracy,” but Super Serious’ first work debuted during the Tony Awards. The mini-musical for Impossible Foods defends plant-based meat products to a bevy of historical characters, complete with horse-headed backup dancers. The campaign epitomizes Super Serious’ ethos that if something isn’t entertaining, it’s not worth it. Sutton was a producer on Burger King’s groundbreaking internet campaign “Subservient Chicken,” and O’Rourke worked on Old Spice at Wieden+Kennedy, where he and Crews did the “Muscle Man” campaign together. “Old Spice was viewed as entertainment for years—people would watch those commercials for a half-hour straight,” Crews told Ad Age in June. “At the time, no big actors wanted to do it. Ten years later, every major star has to have a campaign. I like to think Matt and I had a hand in that—in changing the way people thought about what entertainment could be. And we see no limit.” Issa Rae Actress, writer, producer and comedian Issa Rae launched Fête, the new brand marketing arm of her production company Hoorae, over the summer. Announced at Cannes, Fête became a starting point for brand partnerships across all the divisions under the Hoorae banner. Rae’s vision is to give more opportunities to diverse talent while helping brands connect with multicultural audiences through Black-owned businesses that had the expertise, but not the chance, to work with larger brands. In September, Fête announced a partnership with Team Epiphany, which first worked with Rae to promote her critically acclaimed HBO show “Insecure.” The companies also worked on campaigns for brands including Airbnb and American Express. Idris Elba Idris Elba added advertising to the list of industries he’s dipped his toes into, which include a restaurant, production company, skin care products and a record label. In June, the actor launched the agency Silly Face with Marc Boyan, owner of independent media group Miroma. Named after Elba’s belief there needs to be more fun in business, Silly Face says it will bring in talent with diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds to help clients connect with consumers more honestly. The agency began recruiting over the summer and will produce its own content, including short-form documentaries. Randall Park Actor, writer and comedian Randall Park began his directing career with an indie film that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this year. In November, he signed with production company Magnetic Field for commercial representation. Park was inspired to work in commercials while collaborating on a project with Magnetic Field Co-founder Justin Lin. “Randall is immensely talented and I’ve been a huge fan of his work since our film-school days,” Lin told Ad Age. Best known for playing the father of the Huang family in the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat,” Park specializes in character-driven comedy, whether he’s an exhausted dad in an Amazon back-to-school ad or awkward ex-boyfriend in Ali Wong’s “Always Be My Maybe.” Read more: Randall Park signs with Magnetic Field Plus: Watch Randall Park in Amazon’s back-to-school ad See our Year in Review stories here Lena Dunham In the fall, actress and director Lena Dunham signed with Biscuit Filmworks for commercial representation in the U.S., the U.K. and the Netherlands. Dunham, who owns her own production company, Good Thing Going, will join Biscuit’s cadre of directors, including Andreas Nilsson, Jeff Low and Steve Rogers. Dunham, who won a Golden Globe in 2012 for her performance on HBO’s “Girls—a show she wrote and directed—hadn’t done much in advertising to this point. In 2012, she was in an election ad for Barack Obama, and in 2016 did a body-positive lingerie campaign for New Zealand brand Lonely. Rupert Reynolds-MacLean, managing director at Biscuit Filmworks U.K., was drawn to how Dunham “shaped culture,” he told Ad Age in September. “‘Girls’ inspired a generation of people to tell their stories in an honest and genre-defining way,” he said. “Her work as a director, writer and actor is unparalleled and continues to push the boundaries while mastering her craft.”Look back: Max’s first campaign since HBO Max rebrand Brent Faiyaz Hip hop artist Brent Faiyaz saw his second album, “Wonderland,” hit No. 2 on the Billboard charts and was approached by UnitedMasters founder and CEO Steve Stoute to start his own advertising agency. ISO Supremacy, which stands for In Search of Supremacy, was launched with the mission of creating “visual and sonic art,” with Faiyaz leading the agency as CEO. Stoute reportedly offered Faiyaz $50 million to participate in the venture.

6 celebs who jumped into advertising in 2023

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