November 16, 2006

Confessing up to a bit of acne is a real PR winner –– especially if the celebrities have teenaged fans, observes Laura Potter

American stars are falling all over themselves to tell us how awful their acne is. Not as masochistic as it sounds, when you hear how much they get paid for their confessions. Take Lindsay Lohan, who scored a £1.5m deal to endorse an American brand of acne cream.

As unglamorous as this gig is, Lohan is following in the blemish-free footsteps of Jessica Simpson, P Diddy and Elle Macpherson to promote the brand. Acne sufferer Simpson welcomed the life-changing results, “Looking back, I can see how much I’ve grown and, actually, I know it sounds weird and crazy, but the cream had so much to do with it.” Yes, it does sound crazy!

P Diddy is equally impressed, “I definitely had an acne problem. I have to make sure my sexy look is right all the way.”

And these celebrities aren’t alone. Mischa Barton and Mandy Moore have both recommended skin creams, and Smallville star Kristin Kreuk, who looks as if she’s never been within a 10-mile radius of a spot, is also the face of a facial scrub.

Confessing up to a bit of acne is a real PR winner –– especially if the celebrities have teenaged fans. But when the advertisements pay enough cash for stars to bathe in the stuff, one can’t admire them that much.

We’d like to see more brutal revelations in product advertising, to be honest. Come on, celebs, sign up as the face of haemorrhoid cream, or let us know how other less glamorous medications changed your life. Now that we’d really applaud. — Dawn/Observer Service

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