We've just passed the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death from an overdose of barbiturates, but the world still can’t keep its collective eyes off of her visage — or brand. She may not have an annual week dedicated to her as Elvis does, but her doe-eyed, beauty-marked visage is stronger than ever.

Forbes, which has made something of a cottage industry out of tracking dead celebrities' brands, estimates that Monroe pulled in $27 million in 2011, third behind Michael Jackson and Presley in the dead-celeb sweepstakes.

Her image and likeness are controlled by Authentic Brands Group and partner NECA, which purchased the Monroe brand in 2010. The plan in process now, according to the Associated Press, is to upgrade “Monroe offerings from trinkets to cosmetic lines, spas, salons and apparel.”Continue reading...

Dust off those blue suede shoes and get ready to join Elvis Week 2012, the annual celebration at Graceland in Memphis commemorates Elvis Presley's life and career and the anniversary of his death on August 16, 1977, at age 42.

It’s a testament to the enduring power of the King of Rock and Roll, and a best use of technological evolution that future generations can engage with the legacy of Elvis Aaron Presley, considered one of the most important icons of 20th century pop culture.

Elvis Week 2012, running August 10-18, embraces all things digital and social with an official Elvis Week app for both iPhone and Android, featuring a customizable event schedule, complete list of Elvis Week guests, a map of the Graceland grounds and Memphis area, a news feed with video recaps, Memphis area weather conditions and a virtual candle for the annual Candlelight Vigil on August 15.Continue reading...

For all the talk of resurrecting Elvis Presley as a hologram and taking him, virtually, back on tour, fans of The King would say there is no better celebration than the annual Elvis Week that takes over Memphis every August.

This year it's taking place August 10-18, overlapping the 35th anniversary of the legendary singer's death on August 16th. Skeptics would say it's just one more way to shore up the earnings of a dead celebrity who ranked second (behind Michael Jackson) on Forbes magazine's 2011 "top earning dead celebrities" list, bringing in a hip-gyrating $55 million.

Elvis Week 2012 is the culmination of a year-long celebration expected to draw the largest crowds ever — including Elvis himself. That's right, the "Elvis 35th Anniversary Concert," to be held on Thursday night, August 16 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, features "a spectacular live music experience starring the real Elvis Presley via video," according to information distributed by Elvis Presley Enterprises.Continue reading...

After Whitney Houston’s unfortunate death last Saturday, anyone turning on a TV or radio got to hear her signature tune, “I Will Always Love You,” countless times, whether it was Jennifer Hudson singing it on the Grammys or Amber Riley performing it, apparently coincidentally, on the Valentine’s Day episode of Glee on FOX.

Of course Houston had a slew of other massive hits, such as “How Will I Know,” “The Greatest Love of All,” and “I Want to Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” but the fact that one tune kept spilling out of the speakers over and over again didn’t speak well of her brand’s ability to stick around for generations to come.

Metro reports that Houston, whose funeral is taking place on Saturday (with a live-stream for fans via the Associated Press), has a chance to “have a legacy that can outlive our collective memory of her somewhat tainted past” of drug and alcohol abuse. That legacy may lie in the hands of marketing pros “who specialize in the act of ‘sanitizing’ the image of a deceased celebrity."Continue reading...

The King may have left the building, but he has not left the branding. Elvis Presley would have turned 77 on Jan. 8 if he could have found a way to survive the massive amounts of lethal drugs and sandwiches he ingested in the years leading up to his death on Aug. 16, 1977 (unless, of course, he really is that guy spotted at the Hare Krishna ranch in Roswell, New Mexico, back in 2008). 

Assuming it's not, this year marks the 35th anniversary of when the King of Rock was found to be unresponsive on his bathroom floor. The world mourned his death then, but it's ready (at least, his estate is ready) to party now.

Graceland will kick off a yearlong celebration on Thursday that will feature a slew of special events, including tribute concerts, according to release from Elvis Presley Enterprises. An annual birthday shindig for Elvis kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday. That will be followed up by, you guessed it, an Elvis cruise from Jacksonville, Florida, to Nassau, the Bahamas. It’s not Hawaii, but one can bet a few rounds of “Blue Hawaii” will be heard along the way.Continue reading...

1957 may be most closely identified with the '57 Chevy, but Chrysler marketers are going back to that year to promote the new Fiat 500 in America.

They're treading carefully, having been questioned for emphasizing a repositioning of the Chrysler brand, via the “Imported from Detroit” campaign that kicked off at this year's Super Bowl, over touting their first new model in a long while, the Chrysler 200. While they won’t say it, one reason is that the car is basically a re-skinned Chrysler Sebring and wasn’t all that boast-worthy, compared with much of the competition these days.

For the Fiat brand as it re-enters the United States in a big way, the story is different. By all accounts, the new Fiat 500 is a high-quality sparkplug, popular in Europe, and it should get a strong reception once it’s widely available in the United States at a time of stubbornly high gasoline prices. Nevertheless, Fiat is emphasizing brand over its 500 subcompact so far. The reasons, this time, are different.Continue reading...

Celebrities, it seems, have the ultimate staying power: Some of them make more money dead than alive.

As we reported in October, the Forbes annual list of top-earning dead celebrities revealed a posthumous windfall for Michael Jackson, number one on the 2010 list, whose estate earned $275 million. Marilyn Monroe didn't place in the top ten on the list, but Jamie Salter is out to change that.

Salter, whose firm Authentic Brands Group owns the rights to market Bob Marley-branded merchandise, is acquiring the rights to the Marilyn Monroe name. Anna Strasberg, wife of the late Lee Strasberg (Monroe's mentor and acting coach), will continue her involvement as a minority partner in the joint venture. 

According to Bloomberg, Authentic Brands Group will sell makeup, lingerie, and other Marilyn Monroe-branded products. And (say it isn't so), the firm is pitching a reality show called Who is The Next Face of Marilyn?, featuring contestants competing to represent the movie star's brand.Continue reading...

It may seem a bit ghoulish — maybe it's timed to Halloween? — but Forbes has just released its annual look at the top-earning dead celebrities.

Over the past year Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Madonna and Jay-Z each each earned more than $50 million, but Michael Jackson earned more than all four—combined. In fact, Jackson not only took the No.1 spot on Forbes' 10th annual ranking, with gross earnings of $275 million, he out-earned the other 12 stars on the list combined.

Forbes notes: "Jackson's spot atop our top earning dead celebrities list should come as no surprise given the renewed fan interest in music, videos and all things Michael Jackson. Thanks to a lucrative catalog, hit film and album sales, the late king of pop earned more in the last year than Lady Gaga, Madonna and Jay-Z, combined."

Elvis Presley came in second, earning £37 million from admissions to his former Graceland estate, a "heavily hyped" Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas and more than 200 licensing deals. The 2010 list:Continue reading...