Top 10 Most Unusual Celebrity Product Ranges
Perhaps the most famous weird celebrity product, the Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine (aka The George Foreman Grill) has made entrepreneur and Christian Minister George Foreman a multi-millionaire. It’s such a strong brand that many people don’t even realise that Foreman was once a hugely successful heavyweight boxer. Not only does he have an Olympic gold medal, but he also lost only 5 of his 81 fights. He’s still best known for helping us grill chicken, fish and steak with less fat, though.
Celebrities branching out into baby clothing? Not a particularly new and unusual thing. But it’s more unusual if you’re the drummer for Bon Jovi. Apparently, Tico Torres was bored of all the pastel, cutesy baby clothing out there and wanted something a bit more rock & roll. So he created Rock Star baby, which features skull prints, gothic fonts (babygro with the word ‘Suck’ on it, anyone?) and baby beanie hats. There’s also a collaboration with footwear brand Birkenstock – think bedazzled skull clogs and slides with crosses on.
Olivia Newton-John’s Koala Blue clothing line might not have lasted, but her mineral water has. It’s part of a larger range, along with wine and chocolates, that claims to capture 'the unique flavours and colours of Australia’. One might argue that water was an odd choice being both colourless and tasteless, but we’re suckers for anything that’s been given The Nod by Sandy from Grease!
If you’re a shoe company looking to collaborate with a celebrity on a range of women’s fashion footwear, there are plenty of names that might crop up. Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton, Fergie…they’ve all made loads from their shoe lines. But Carlos Santana?! High heels are a long way from latin rock guitar, but somehow this strange partnership with Brown Shoe Company has captured the imagination of shoppers. And, lest we forget, “Although Carlos does not design the footwear himself, he is part of the design process. The interpretation of the multi-cultural, colorful imagery that surrounds Santana’s music brings the shoes to life.”
Alas, the Olsen twins foray into dental care has now been resigned to the big bargain bin in the sky, but there was a time that this kid-friendly toothpaste was raking in the bucks for the savvy young businesswomen. Mary-Kate and Ashley have made millions by turning themselves into a super-brand, and while they’re now aiming at an adult market, pushing high end fashion and glossy coffee table books over cheap cosmetics and straight-to-DVD movies, this is a reminder of where they came from and just how many random items have had their faces on in the past!
You’re a much-loved TV chef and personality. There’s only one way forward, isn’t there? Putting out a range of foodstuffs that’s only fit for consumption by dogs!
Joking aside, we all know Rachael Ray can cook up a feast fit for her human friends too. But it's this range of pet foods - inspired by her pooch Isaboo - that she’s chosen to put her name behind. And with proceeds going to Rachael's Rescue, a charity founded by Ray to help at-risk animals, you can’t hate her for it.
Paris Hilton’s name crops up frequently in lists of celebrity products. She does, after all, have half a dozen perfumes, a range of shoes and bags, hair extensions and jewellery ranges to name but a few. But the strangest by far is the new ‘Creativity Collection’, a range of crafty supplies for avid scrapbook fanatics who want to put a bit of Paris’s girly style into their creations. Scrapbooking is 'hot', but somehow we can’t imagine Paris uses these stickers and transfers herself. We could be wrong, though!
Sold via the fabulously named ‘Pickelodeon’ website (and at selected supermarkets) broadcaster and film pundit Barry Norman’s picked onions have to be one of the most brilliantly random celeb products we’ve ever encountered. Apparently they’re made to an old family recipe passed on to Barry by his mother (who got it from her mother, who got it from…well, you get the picture) and only became a business venture when friend John Wringe tasted them and decided the world needed a piece of the action. And for that we thank him!
It all started with a salad dressing. Celebrated actor and director Paul Newman and his author friend A. E. Hotchner used to give their homemade dressing to friends as gifts, and, on noticing its popularity, decided to branch out and sell it commercially. Newman quickly went from Oscar winner to king of dressings, and by his death in 2008 Newman’s Own was a thriving company producing dozens of sauces and dressings alongside various other food and pet products. What’s most admirable is that Newman’s Own is a charitable company with 100% of profits after tax going to worthy causes. That's over $250 million in donations since 1982!
Have a think about the kinds of products a member of the Rolling Stones might put their name to. My guess is you’re thinking booze, guitars and rock-related merchandise? Think again! Bill Wyman – former bassist with the band – has actually put his name to a metal detector. Wyman is a huge archaeology fan who hit a brick wall when looking for a beginner’s detector for his daughter Katie. Two years later, the Bill Wyman Signature Metal Detector was born – a lightweight, entry-level model for kids and amateurs who want to hunt for hidden treasure. Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction!