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Although she’s been making hit records for
over 15 years, the Grammy award winning singer Mary J. Blige continues
to evolve over that span of time. Since she emerged in 1992, Blige has
evolved from Yonkers-born b-girl to a world renowned pop star. Blige’s
image shift has resulted in her being one of the most visible artists
in the industry and her branding success led to successful deals with
AT&T, Chevrolet, and Pepsi.
While many artists
who achieve a certain level of marketability and are sought out by
Madison Avenue advertising execs, are sometimes labeled hollow
opportunists, the ‘Queen of Hip Hop Soul’ has become a successful
pitchwoman without losing a shred of credibility. Her transformation as
an artist and as a woman is born out of the real growth that she has
experienced and not some calculated attempt to ‘crossover.’ Her
sincerity permeates everything she does — from music to television ads.
Blige’s unique ability to appeal to the block as well as the boardroom,
make her a different type of celebrity pitchwoman. Here are some of her
most notable deals:
1. From 1999 to the present, Blige has been a prominent and consistent
spokesperson for Pepsi. She has recently appeared in ads with Mariah
Carey and the All American Rejects.
2. In the early 2000s, Blige became the face of the MAC Cosmetics’ AIDS
Foundation. She appeared in commercials with other well known artists
like Lil Kim and Elton John.
3. In 2004, Mary sang a cover of the
Emotions’ “Best of My Love” and appeared alongside actors Sarah Jessica
Parker and Josh Duhamel in an ad for GAP’s winter collection.
4. In 2008, the singer and her story were featured in CitiBank’s Story of My Life Campaign.
5. In early 2009, in one of her most prominent ad spots, Blige
represented the Chevrolet Transverse. The memorable commercial featured
the singer at various stages of her career as she urged viewers to know
what to keep with them, but ‘leave their baggage behind.’
Blige’s ongoing high-profile career, both in music and marketing, is a
boon for young, black girls everywhere who come from less-than-idyllic
backgrounds and don’t have fashion model looks or demeanor. For
American women of all shapes, colors, and sizes, Mary J. Blige
continues to be a prime role model. –todd williams
