I'll admit it – I had a smart, thoughtful post on the Workforce Recruiting article regarding Kelly Services attempting to migrate from the "Kelly Girls" image and brand, but I ditched it. Instead, after I read Tim Sackett's reaction to the article, I decided to extend his riff.
Kelly Services doesn't need to change the brand from "Kelly Girls", they need to embrace it. But they need to find the right spokeswomen to carry the brand forward in this century.
Here's my point. Like Tim, I believe if the market already" has your brand position identified, have fun with it. Be Kelly Girls, but change the game. It doesn't have to mean the 60's era typist pictured to the right. Instead, use the positioning and go find the smartest, edgiest women your ad budget can afford to be the face of the brand. I'm thinking a good ad campaign to reinforce the new image wouldn't have one spokesperson, it would feature at least 4 or 5.
My top 5 candidates for the face of Kelly Girls and why:
–Jennifer Aniston – Obviously attractive, but more to the point always seems to play roles that have a good bit of intelligence in them. Not a victim, quick on her feet. Bonus for working at the Applebee's type of place in Office Space. The actor in the ad rotation/mix.
–Janeane Garofalo – Don't shoot me for this one, because I know there's a lot of political stuff here. The reason I plug Garofalo in is because you need the sharp, witty, crackback-based comedian who's approachable in the ad mix. They can't all be models, because that doesn't seem real. If you don't like her politics, plug someone else in that fits the role. Next would be Wanda Sykes, but there's political baggage there also….
–Mia Hamm or an approachable athlete who's well-spoken to be named later – I've seen her in a couple of spots, and it works. If her brand score is down, plug someone else in, but you need the active "girls aren't typists" thing working for you with this spot…
–Meg Whitman – We need a pure businesswoman/CEO plug here, and candidly, we need a recognition factor. I'm assuming since Meg is planning to run for governor that she's quick on her feet. I'd go with Carly Fiona instead, but there's some lingering effects to how it ended at HP.
–Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Why? Because it works – in a big way. Smart, accessible and funny, without being threatening.
Don't change the brand, Kelly Girls – embrace it, but update it.
Readers – who would be in your Kelly Girl 5? Videos of Aniston and Julia below to imagine the possibilities…
Come on KD – Jennifer Aniston because she plays roles with a good bit of intelligence in them!? “Bit” being the key word as it relates to intelligence. I’m surprised Pam Anderson didn’t make your list.
So, if we really want to have fun – here’s my “Kelly Girl” five:
#1 – #3 – The Kardashian Sisters (Hey, they run their own business – plus, they are as a group, a complete train wreck – so you can’t take your eyes off them! Could you ask for anything more for marketing?)
#4 – Kendra from the Girls Next Door (Again, a train wreck with no brain – even better!)
#5 – J Lee – (Well, I had to establish some sort of credibility and professionalism to the list)
Like you Kris, I’m very interested to see what the HR Pros think on this subject – I think the Kelly Girl Brand rocks. I wish my company had such a recognizable brand image.
dudes… i resent being called a “girl” even if i make tim’s list of possible new kelly girls.
what a great pair of posts on kelly girl. very intriguing, from a brand and political perspective. i’m looking forward to following the conversation it sparks.
my own two cents is that…you’re right. sure, the word “girl” is loaded. in my book it ranks right up there with being called honey. i hate it. (if i was being a girl, i would say i strongly dislike it.)
even so, i love the idea of kelly girl reclaiming the word, not walking away from it for its negative connotations. where i veer away from your argument is with the use of celebrities, athletic or otherwise. why not use kelly girls themselves? i’m sure there are kelly girls, past and present, who can speak with much greater conviction on how being a kelly girl contributed to their journey. much better than a caricature of a person (aniston and dreyfus) or even a well-known gal/HR pro/editor who hates being called a girl.
KD- as always love the post- I agree- as a small company I would kill for the brand and marketshare!
Why not do a version of Paris Hilton’s Carl Jr ads-totally kidding
Okay, I get that you all have a sarcarstic take on what you do, but then we should change the name to Kelly GUYS. Do you not know that there is a shortage of men in this business society of workforce development? We should give the guy a hand up and start them out in the typing pool. They (men) would rather stay at home and raise their family. So, why not give them a part-time, 9-5 job in the typing pool. That way they can contribute to society by getting home on time for their wife and kids to start dinner, clean the house, etc., etc.
Have you not been keeping up with things? Oh, try watching the ever popular Mad Men.
Thanks for the work you do here.
Dani Flores