How to bring out the funny in any celebrity

The very first celebrity endorsement - or celebrity in any ad, not counting trading cards paired with ad campaigns -was Babe Ruth in 1930, for Red Rock Cola. 

This says two important things: that we’re soon coming up on 100 years of celebrity advertising, and that sports stars were the first to make inroads with consumers for brands. The trend didn’t shift to movie stars and other talents until the mid-40s.

We’re soon coming up on 100 years of celebrity advertising.

Back then, brands used outdoor ads and posters, so athletes did little more than smile and pose. Today, however, click on a TV and you’ll see not just athletes, but actors, musicians and more suddenly turn on the charm and dig into acting chops we didn’t know they had, for major commercial brand campaigns. Many of them possess natural on-camera talent. Some are hilarious.

Above: Baseball star Babe Ruth was the first celebrity endorsement, for Red Rock Cola, almost 100 years ago. 

But what do directors do about sports stars with plenty of clout, yet no acting experience, particularly when ads are supposed to be hilarious? How can they coach athletes (off the court) to pull their weight in a comedic spot while staying true to themselves? Audiences want to see their favourite celebrity, not a caricature of the real thing. 

What do directors do about sports stars with plenty of clout, yet no acting experience, particularly when ads are supposed to be hilarious?

On the other hand, they don’t want to sit through 30 seconds of well-meaning line-reading, either. So, for directors and other creatives to keep in mind, here’s are some tricks to try and to coax the comedy out of the shyest talent:

Study past plays 

The most important part of working with celebrity talent happens before they even arrive on set. Researching the celebrity or professional athlete will help give an idea of their personality and their range as an actor. Look at their other spots, if any. Watch interviews. Study their social media persona. 

During the scriptwriting process, this research can provide parameters to help craft the copy. Avoid writing something that will make them feel uncomfortable or out of character, or cause an issue for their public persona (unless the idea is to subvert expectations of who we think this person is, which works well in comedy).

Above: Mt. Dew let basketball star Zach LeVine and actor Charlie Day be themselves.

Authenticity sells 

This should go without saying. Authenticity will help sell a humorous performance, creating character beats and moments of earnest hilarity where you didn’t think of those inroads before. 

Directors have to give their athletes room to play and experiment with the source material.

As a nod to this tactic Mt. Dew let basketball star Zach LeVine and actor Charlie Day be themselves in a humorous ad playing to Zach’s naturally quiet, straightforward approach. The best space for authenticity is where you collaborate with the talent and let them seize some creativity by the reins. Give them their input, which brings me to...

... seize the script 

I know, I know, you studied the talent thoroughly so you could draft a compelling script. But, sometimes, the best performances come from off-beat ad-libs, and directors have to give their athletes room to play and experiment with the source material.