Stars Stumping For Foreign Goods

This morning I left Cannes very early to catch a flight home. As we drove I noticed more examples of what is a most common trend:

Celebrities doing foreign print campaigns.

Do you recall the character played by Bill Murray in 'Lost in Translation', who pimps himself for some kind of after dinner drink brand all over Japan? Well, there's a little bit of that guy in so many of our celebs.

George Clooney on countless billboards, posing almost identically to the Bill Murray character, for Nespresso (caffeinated hot cocoa maybe?).

Clive Owen giving his best debonair for 'Hypnose' cologne.

Demi Moore for Helena Rubinstein face sculptor....

Tim Burton for Samsung.

I remember seeing Ben Affleck and Brad Pitt both striking it sexy on a Paris subway years ago...

From sunglasses to watches, cologne and skin creams, they're everywhere but in America it seems. This strategy must mean we (Americans) are too judgmental or the fear of over exposure at one's base (home country) looms too large.

Whatever the reason, I am all but certain that Nespresso is forbidden to run the smoldering coffee ads here in the states...would George laugh about them? He's very good at self-deprecation, but in this case, I am not so sure.

Now if I see him modeling Kimonos in Japan, the gloves come off.