Diane’s Blog

Diane’s Blog

Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Billy Mays
Impacted Our Lives in Many Ways

This month we lost several admired entertainers whose passing continues to capture our attention.  Their deaths affect us in different ways and will continue to affect many of us for some time to come.  What did these three entertainers have in common?  They each had a distinct, consistent and memorable image.  Let’s look at each one individually.

Farrah Fawcett was well-known for her long, flowing locks of golden hair.  She first became famous as a Charlie’s Angel; and then became an icon with her pin-up poster.  Her poster was the best selling poster of all times.  Men found her sexually appealing; and many women wanted to look like Farrah and asked their hairdressers to replicate her famous style.   She was one of the most recognizable women on TV during the 1970’s.

Michael Jackson was famous for his image, his movements, his behavior and for his unique, high-pitched voice.  He a was a pop icon, known as the “King of Pop.” Michael created a distinct brand that crystallized over time; and that clear image impacted people all over the world.  Michael’s  image was far more complex and intriguing than Farrah’s by comparison.  His hair style, sunglasses, sequined glove, military-style red jacket, short cropped pants, white socks and super slim physique were all part of Michael’s signature style.  His multiple plastic surgeries both repelled and fascinated us.  His unique dancing style as well as his mysterious and bizarre behaviors kept our attention and kept him in the headlines.  Michael’s performances and trend-setting music videos will live on especially amongst his fans.  His notoriously bad childhood and complex personality and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death will continue to fascinate us.  You can be sure that there will be many books written about this unique and complicated personality.

Pitchman Billy Mays’ death shocked us as well.  Unlike the others, he was in the pinnacle of his career and had just achieved celebrity status in America.  He appeared on the Tonight Show, Fox News among others and had become a recognizable face on TV.  His style was memorable and captivating but in some ways different than Farrah’s and Michael’s.  Billy is not as well-known as Michael and Farrah and he was not a fashion trendsetter but his signature style was impactful nonetheless.  He had a casual, conservative style with a dyed and well-trimmed beard and a loud, in-your-face selling style.  Often he wore a blue long-sleeved shirt with a collar (revealing his undershirt just at the neck) with a dark belt and khaki dockers – your typical, conservative, dressed-down American look for adult males.  He was not controversial and he cut through the clutter on TV with his unmistakable style.  The products Billy pitched sold billions of dollars.  Single handedly, he changed raised the bar for pitchmen which was the name of the new cable show that he was staring in at the time of his passing.

A finely tuned, distinct  and consistent image that is uniquely your own is important in creating your brand.  Like Farrah, Michael and Billy, there is no one like you.  You too are unique.  To create a memorable image, it must be authentic, consistent, memorable and recognizable as distinctly “YOU.”  If you need assistance in creating your image, contact Diane Schwartz, Your Winning Image Professional, at 561-733-0982.