Lady Gaga for Versace or Versace for Lady Gaga?

I was confused, very confused when I saw the Versace ad in the February issue of the W magazine. The campaign was already launched last year but it still causes a lot of controversy…not that Lady Gaga is shy about that, but in this case … ?
There are two different and not so different topics to talk about.
But one creepy step at a time!

So and so often brands 'use' celebrities to market their products. This is nothing new to the marketing world. It is usually the easiest way - although not the cheapest, those VIP cost a fortune - for companies and their brands to get a high PR value for events, to get a nice press coverage when it comes to product launches, etc… . Usually it works just fine; it is a win win for both sides. Celebs need to appear as often as possible to market them selves and the brands need to be talk of the town as well. But there should be no confusion on which 'name' is the bigger one or maybe even a fight over attention!


So you tell me - does this ad promote Lady Gaga or Versace?

And is this look-a-like still a brand by its own?

Who copies whom?











Donatella Versace and Lady Gaga have a lot in common. They are both leaders, on top of their business, strong women with the affection to create. They share the love for self-transformation and wild cloth. But there is a lot more as Lady Gaga admits in the latest interview for Fashion Magazin:

"I don't always have anyone to look up to. It can be kind of lonely because you know some people have been very accepting of me as an artist and some people haven't. Seeing where Donatella is and how far she's come and continues to go makes me feel like I have a role model. I have somebody I can look up to and say 'I can be that' or maybe I can at least try."

So maybe it is a little bit like 'mother and daughter'???
BTW - Happy Mothers Day!

On a side note: There are also 'other' pictures flying around in the online world. It looks like someone has gotten their hands on unretouched photos of the shooting. Lady Gaga's wig is yellowish, her knees are full of bruises and there was basically no make-up used. So one wonders if they did it intentionally to photoshop everything later?
I have to admit that I am not the biggest Lady Gaga fan but her creations and her perfectionism when it comes to her stunning public appearance are beyond everything the pop/art world has seen so far. Could this be true? Or another smart PR trick?