BIC’s Cheap Pens Make for a Cheap Laugh

It seems there’s something in the water in Germany. Actor Christoph Waltz proclaimed he was going to give back his Academy award and dedicate his life to Austrian folklore. Actress Helen Mirren declared herself Queen of England. Tom Cruise ordered a high chair just like Suri’s so that he can see over the table. 

Okay, what’s going on here, Germany?

The explanation begins with BIC being the number-one selling pen everywhere in the world – except Germany. So BIC’s Berlin agency, Jung von Matt/Spree, declared “with a BIC, you sign everything.”

And so it began. With a camera crew in tow, BIC sent undercover actors armed with BIC pens to get autographs from celebrities. Knowing stars will thoughtlessly scribble their John Hancock on just about anything an adoring fan hands them, BIC fooled unsuspecting celebrities into signing ridiculous documents. Then, they posted short videos of the scams on YouTube starting with a man who tricked the beautiful actress, Eva Habermann, into signing a marriage certificate.

BIC is getting free publicity at the expense of the rich and famous. Is this the new face of celebrity endorsements? Instead of negotiating an enormous sum of money to have a star flaunt their flawless appearance (oh, and give your product the nod of approval), BIC puts their $0.21 pen into action. Besides, there is nothing the public loves more than to watch untouchable celebrities become victims of their own stardom.

So maybe it’s not the water after all; it’s just a cheap pen and an even cheaper celebrity endorsement.