UPDATE: Sara Rue had major success on Jenny Craig, dropping 50 pounds. She will also be the host on a new reality TV show, Shedding for the Wedding. (8/6/10)
Celebrities are particularly effective in marketing diets. It’s not just that people look up to them, but people see that the beautiful entertainers are not always perfect, that they struggle with many of the same things that we “normal folks” do.
Jenny Craig rules the roost of celebrity endorsements. Sure, NutriSystem has a stranglehold on the male celebrity diet endorsers. But, from a business perspective, women are the backbone of the diet industry, and Jenny Craig has made celebrities the centerpiece of their marketing efforts.
You see the occasional spot for Weight Watchers, Alli, or any number of other diet programs or products with famous talking heads. But, Jenny Craig has had Kirstie Alley, Valarie Bertinelli, Phylicia Rashad, Queen Latifah, Joy Behar, Cindy Williams, Monica Lewinsky, and Kimberley Locke (of American Idol fame).
Now, there’s a new celeb that is joining the Jenny Craig sorority. Sara Rue is the latest Jenny Craig celebrity client and spokesperson. The actress has starred in sitcoms, theater and film, including TV shows like Less Than Perfect and Popular. Rue has guest-starred on TV shows like Will & Grace, Two and a Half Men, and The Big Bang Theory, and has made film appearances in Pearl Harbor and A Map of the World.
It’s a good time for Jenny Craig to hook up with the actress, since she has resolved to make a New Years’ resolution to lose weight. Rue is a self-proclaimed yo-yo dieter and has fought weight issues all of her life. She says that she would like to lose 30 pounds with Jenny Craig. That’s something we forget: sure celebs sign on for endorsement money… but they have weight to lose, too.
