PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
Lindsay Lohan’s Latest Drama: Suing Over “Milkaholic” Baby
by Brittney Storm
If there is one thing we can always count on, it’s that Lindsay Lohan will create tabloid-worthy drama. In her latest antic, the 23-year-old actress is suing E*Trade Financial Corp. over a Super Bowl commercial that she says uses her name and likeness.
You can watch the 30-second commercial here:
Lohan’s lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, alleges that the “milkaholic Lindsay” mentioned in the commercial is actually a reference to the actress, so Lohan is seeking $100 million in damages and is demanding that E*Trade pull the ad.
In the suit, Lohan claims the advertisement "disregarded and violated" her right "to the exclusive control of the commercial use of her likeness, name, characterization and personality."
Lindsay’s lawyer reportedly said that when people hear the name “Lindsay” in the commercial, they automatically think of Lohan. However, a spokesman for the Grey Group, who created the 
commercial for E*Trade, says that the “Lindsay” character was named after a member of the account team.
Adding to the snowball effect of all this bad Lohan press is the news that her publicist, Leslie Sloane-Zelnick of BWR, is no longer working with the actress.
My advice to Lindsay: Instead of focusing on an advertisement that may or may not use her likeness, she should focus on regaining control of her career. Filing this lawsuit is not going to improve her public and professional image. She won’t take back control by suing E*Trade for $100 million. Instead, she’ll only make more people think of her when they see this commercial.
I would tell Lindsay to hire a publicist who cares about improving her image, volunteer for a worthwhile cause, film some independent movies, spend less time at the club and more time on what matters most: improving her image. Not all press is good press, even in Hollywood. Lohan is a talented actress, and with the right public relations strategy, she could earn better roles and regain her fans.
Permalink | 03/10/2010 |
