Perspective... Sex, lies and videotapes: a star's controversy

In a juicy tale of sex, lies and videotapes, a steamy affair between a celebrity plastic surgeon, appropriately nicknamed ‘Doctor Hunk’, and a glamorous young actress has gripped the Philippines after video footage of their passionate affair appeared on the internet.

The salacious details of the scandal have engrossed consumers (and the press) so much that the humiliated protagonists have even been summoned to the Senate to dish the dirt in a public hearing.

At the centre of the controversy is Katrina Halili, rising film star and brand endorser for the likes of lingerie label Bench and Belo Medical Group. With all the fuss surrounding the home movies showing the surgeon going beyond the usual doctor-patient boundaries, she is now fighting to hang on to her lucrative brand endorsements.

Bench, in particular, has been quick to distance itself from the mess, pulling down the billboards of the starlet in its lingerie, replacing them with more wholesome wear endorsed by teen models. Whether or not the brand has dropped Halili altogether couldn’t be confirmed at press time.

But this isn’t the first time an Asian celebrity has been the centre of controversy involving naughty pictures leaked on the internet that have subsequently backfired on endorsement dollars.

Remember Edison Chen? Advertisers were quick to desert him in droves after the actor’s collection of intimate shots with various female stars shook the Chinese entertainment industry. EPS, Standard Chartered’s Manhattan Titanium card, and Jacob & Co all pulled ads that featured Chen as an endorser. The scandal forced him into early retirement and sent him fleeing to Canada.

So, is there any hope for the Filipino actress and her rising brand?

Halili can take comfort in knowing that not all stars fall as hard as Chen’s.

Take Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, whose ‘sexy photo-gate’ received very little sympathy from mainland netizens. Zhang was slammed for being an exhibitionist and accused of bringing shame to China by staging the shoot to generate publicity for herself.
Her endorsements by Omega, Maybeline and other brands, however, appeared to be unaffected.

Unsurprisingly, in the devoutly religious Philippines, opinions on Halili have been divided. There are suggestions that the FHM cover girl is using the attention to further her career. But there is also some sympathy for the distraught actress, who appears to have a newfound cause of fighting for women’s rights.

The scandal, of course, is far from over. And as it continues to unfold, we expect Halili’s sponsors will be watching nervously, as she puts that age-old premise, there’s no such thing as bad publicity, to the test.

Red Bull holds the distinction of having created an unusual and highly effective marketing strategy. Here is a product - nonalcoholic, and about as caffeinated as a cup of coffee - that’s managed to acquire a reputation as an over-the-counter amphetamine. 

It’s seen as authentic and irreverent by the most fickle of consumers. It has a cult-like status, with rumours only contributing to the brand’s mystery - and sales. But the flip side of this fame is notoriety, and quite often, Red Bull’s reputation has landed the brand in trouble. This time it’s in Taiwan (where the drink has been confiscated after reportedly being found to contain traces of cocaine) and Hong Kong. Of course, this isn’t the first time the vague whiff of narcotic has pulled the brand off store shelves. Neither is it likely to be the last. After all, it is Red Bull that has carefully and intentionally cultivated the mystery surrounding its product; everyone else it appears has just filled in the blanks.

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