Rihanna pays strippers for oral sex show.
Can Rihanna effectively market upscale products and destinations while promoting her wild lifestyle, drugs, raunch and drunken puking in public?
by Passin thru (with Marcus)
Along with many other Bajans, Barbados Free Press sadly watched as homegirl Rihanna turned from a fresh faced young talent into a superstar queen of wild living and raunchy public displays that prove money can’t buy wisdom, class – or true happiness. Yes, I know she’s worth millions and she picked up oodles of big awards and that her music is everywhere. I like most of her music. The girl sure can sing, but sing isn’t all that this Barbados Tourism Authority spokesperson does…
The argument that the photos and scandals we’re seeing in the press are a normal young person’s missteps that only came to light because of Rihanna’s fame, doesn’t hold water when you follow her Twitter feed and realize that she herself promotes her wild lifestyle (including drugs) to her young fans.
August 8, 2012: Rihanna’s latest Twitter to the world “Typical fuck shit! Please, by all means, shock me next time…”
Rihanna actively promotes her bad behaviour through her own social media
Look, if Rihanna or any young woman wants to behave that way, that’s hardly my business in the normal course of events. I may have even been out with a few wild girls myself a few years back. I may have even looked for them as men often do.
I wouldn’t bring that type of girl home to meet the parents though. No Sir. I would have been too embarrassed to try that.
Bad girls can do what they want and it’s none of my business – except that Rihanna’s wild child life is my business when we are talking about whether her life choices might degrade her ability to properly represent Barbados.
Nivea has doubts about the value of Rihanna’s name for their purposes; should Barbados have any doubts?
Nivea bails on Rihanna
One of Rihanna’s major sponsors is having second thoughts about bringing her home to meet the customers. Strike that. ‘Second thoughts’ is too gentle. Nivea’s CEO says the whole Rihanna association was a mistake. The ads shouldn’t have been used, they won’t be used again – and it’s all about Rihanna’s wild child lifestyle choices.
“Rihanna is a no go … I do not understand how to bring the core brand of Nivea in conjunction with Rihanna… Nivea is a company which stands for trust, family and reliability.”
Nivea’s new CEO Stefan Heidenreich comments on his predecessor’s use of Rihanna as company spokesperson. (Huffington Post)
What lost the Nivea contract for Rihanna? Was it the photos of a drunken Rihanna puking in public? Was it the photos of her paying strippers to have oral sex? Or was it Rihanna’s promotion of recreational marijuana use? Whatever the last straw was, Nivea’s CEO just reached his breaking point. Not that the Umbrella Girl cares or so she says.
Is Rihanna the right choice for the Barbados brand?
Rihanna is a huge name, a true superstar and she’s Bajan. For that reason alone she must be considered by the Barbados Tourism Authority.
But is her fame and name recognition enough? What does Rihanna’s behaviour say about all Bajans? Should we support the girl no matter what if her Bajan roots and fame bring television crews to island?
Has the Barbados Tourism Authority done any studies on how Rihanna as spokesperson will be perceived by our tourist base – not by their 14 year old daughters, but by the people who spend the money?
Or, did the BTA just keep going with Rihanna because she’s Bajan and a superstar? Is that enough? How do we know?
“Barbadian pop singer Rihanna has signed a three-year contract with the Barbados Tourist Authority (BTA) to promote the island. According to BTA chairman Adrian Elcock, production on the promotional campaign is expected to begin soon and will be launched in September, in time for the winter tourist season. Elcock made the announcement Saturday, during the Crop Over press conference at the Hilton Barbados Hotel.”
Jamaica Observer Rihanna to promote Barbados
Further Reading
Stripper oral sex photo credit: MediaTakeOut.com
Barbados Free Press 
Apparently the Government of Barbados has decided that the selling out of our island’s land is not bringing sufficient $$$ in for “THEIR” pockets. It’s now SEXUAL TOURISM ON SALE. Our forefathers are TURNING in their graves.
I would not be at all surprised if she joined the 27 club, if she makes it another 2.5 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club
She just lost $25 million….$US that is. Wow..she really has no brain.
We need to stop bashing Rihanna. Why? Based on all reports, ask her mother. She got her into all the fame and money, not sure if she was warned of the cost involved. I guess not. Sometimes a US$1500.00 shot to stardom has way too many negative repercussions. Rihanna can’t bear it all. Come on mother, take some of this load off of your daughter. You started it all – greed is what they say?
Are you lot serious? Is Rihanna right for the Barbados brand? What the heck is the Barbados brand? Stupes.We are still trading on the nice beach and docile smiling native kept at arms length model from the 70s. What could Rihanna do to spoil that?
Jamaica is still using a dead, former pot smoking, promiscuous Rasta to market their country to great effect but Barbados is doomed because the BTA chose Rihanna?
Rihanna’s wild behaviour is source of her popularity and that popularity is the very reason Nivea would have used her in the first place. Its probably more likely Nivea has no idea what it’s doing, hence the new CEO. Seriously though, who associates ‘reliability, family and trust’ with skin care products as opposed to ‘will it make me look hot/younger’. This guy sounds like he’s selling an SUV.
Rihanna is smart enough to milk the spotlight for as long as she can, my only hope is that she’s not developing a serious habit and is thinking about and planning for her future cause these showbiz careers can be short.
Some will see it as as business decision. Some will see racism. The immature ones will do and say bare rot. I guess somebody did not read the contract.
I agree that Rihanna’s popularity is more of a notoriety based upon her bad girl antics, but how far is too far before Rihanna’s brand means drugs and sex instead of music and celebrity?
Really!?!? says “What the heck is the Barbados brand”
That is a question that more of our former tourism clients are asking themselves as Barbados turns itself into something else. The evolution of the Barbados brand though is not being controlled, it is happening without intelligent guidance and on almost a random course basis. That’s dangerous because if you have no plan or map you have no destination in mind.
The Barbados tourism industry has no destination in mind. It is wandering aimlessly, unguided, without a thought as to what our island might be in ten or twenty years. Hiring a drug using, immature, morally bankrupt woman/child to be our voice is surely an act of desperation and stupidity.
Marshall McLuhan was right: The medium is the message and in this case Rihanna is the medium delivering the message that our Barbados brand is wild times and low-life partying.
Nivea knows about keeping their brand upscale, but our friends at the BTA are not that sophisticated.
One more thing: Jamaica never used Marley as a marketing device until he was legend, and dead. The dead are the safest brand representatives because they are known quantities. They are stable and generally have few surprises for their clients and fans. Just ask Tiger Woods’ marketing clients how quickly a celebrity spokesperson can become a liability to the brand.
Rihanna is personally unstable in the extreme and her own career and image is starting to rely upon the shock value of her antics rather than the quality of her work. Her messages to her fans reveal a low-class, uneducated and troubled girl, not a sophisticated young woman to be admired. Nivea knows that.
Rihanna is turning into another tragic entertainment figure. When she crashes fully, the BTA will turn away with not so much as a thank you.
I see in the Nation that some are claiming “Rihanna too sexy for Nivea”.
Sexy. Slutty.
There’s a difference, you know!
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yatiniteasy, at least she made $25million, when was the last time you made $25million?
@ WWTHON Idiot…she LOST a $25 million contract…and no I did not make $25 million, not even close.
I happen to admire Rihanna and love her music…just wish she would not resort to such slutty behaviour as shown in that photo…she does not need to do that.
Your actions is a representation of yourself. The CEO of Nivea was absolutely right to toss her contract. He is looking out for his company. If her image is tainted and she wants to make $$$$ then she must pull herself up. Being a celebrity is all about putting on a show so perhaps because she’s wealthy she can do whatever she wants and don’t care about what people think.
The BTA on the other hand will catch at anything they think will bring tourist to the island, however will Rihanna bring tourist to the island? Where are the statistics?
The Barbados brand needs to be managed. First of all we need to establish what are the core values of the brand and then make all effort to have those core values established through out the island. We also have to find out what are the core values visitors want and if these values are the same as the ones we would want the brand to portray. How we do this is up to us. I however note that we have over the years praise people for things that we now have to do. Let us really work this time around. I believe that we have enough people around to do this without a commission, consultants and all the other ways of not getting the people paid to work to work.
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It was a foolish idea in the first place to attempt to turn Rhianna into a a Barbados youth ambassador etc. Why not let her get on with her work life (ditzy as it may be) and if she wants to come home for a break, let her do so without being pestered, expected to take on board the desires and wishes of Barbados? She’s just a young girl trying to make her way in the pop world, doing very well. If she wants to come home once in a while, to chill out in Barbados like so many stars do, let her do so so she can just rest and relax. She is not a Marley type with local issues, she’s an international superstar now. Her songs are not about the issues Marley was dealing with, they are on a wider stage. Anyway, she’s a Bajan, not a Jamaican.
Look, Rihanna is just a small piece of the gross wicked and corrupt system under which the Barbados Government; Judicial system and all other governing bodies conduct themselves. At least, Rihanna is open with her disgraceful way of behaving and not hiding under anything or anyone. Rihanna is classless and if she does change her behavior, it will surely catch up with her.
What a joke. I wouldnt want to go anywhere Rhiana promotes shes an absolute disgrace in every way possible.
Barbados is a christian society with morals how in jahs name would they consider her to promote their Island.
Get a grip Barbados shes bad publicity.
Forget your wild girl claims and that its ok shes a bad role model to all young girls.
Nivea are right their products have been around for years and they realise rhianas name linked to their company will discredit the good name they have spent decades creating.
Reality check people that girl is demonic you all need to go online and read about her illuminati next to her mentor jay-z.. They say knowledge is power people please go and read about theses celebs get full insite knowledge about them not all the glitz and glamour. That girl soul is lost you all need to wake up. You say she is a good market for barbados i say she is a waste of time i don’t hate her i just can’t see why we are praising a women who says and tweeted that she is not a role model and the nation newspaper article says that young women should take a leaf out of her book. Tell me for what reason? BARBADOS wake up she is not how she use to be i am not a christen but she is not going to last forever only for a short while. Fame doesn’t last please google about the music industry and celebs who got messed up it is all there. I wouldn’t want my child to reach that level of celebrity because it all comes with a prize. She is being used and played by the higher ups. GOOGLE IT people i feel sorry for her cause her soul is so lost.