You've seen the commercials -- Ashton Kutcher hawks the latest Nikon SLR while taking in some leggy "scenery." But this shutter-happy scamp we see eyeing beach babes is a decidedly different Ashton than we had come to know: a devoted stepdad and husband. But hindsight is 20/20 and with Kutcher's failed marriage to 49-year-old Demi now clearly in focus, we're looking to his point-and-shoot endorsement for some resolution. Perhaps we weren't the only ones who were buying what the 33-year-old was selling. Could Kutcher have been seduced by his own brand?
Six years before rumors of Ashton's infidelity became blogosphere catnip, a newly married Ashton and Demi couldn't escape the "cougar" references that defined their relationship. But soon enough, as the puns struggled to stay relevant, the pair started to creep onto "cutest couple" and "Hollywood's long-lasting relationships" lists. Enter the Ashton-approved Nikon Coolpix camera.
Celebrity endorsements are nothing new but when stars lend their famous mugs to a product or cause, they usually play a facet of their own persona. Think about Kim Kardashian -- 'Want her body? Here's how to get it' -- urging you to buy Skechers Shape-Ups. Or what about Roger Federer's Rolex campaign -- the sleek wrist-topper and Federer emote a similar aire of distinction. Ashton's Nikon bit narrates the life of an unattached bachelor, flirting like there's no tomorrow. In his latest commercial spot, Kutcher is seen snapping pictures of young bikini-clad babes flying kites on the beach.
Whereas most of his 33-year-old counterparts don't have to play the part of a young Lothario, the "No Strings Attached" actor's commercial spots were seemingly constructed to distract us from the fact that he was now happily married to a 49-year-old. Public perception of the bold and beautiful Tinseltown few aren't only expertly curated by managers in order to minimize or maximize their appearances in tabloid weeklies, but are also carefully strategized in order to appeal to casting directors and producers. And when life's one big audition, celebrities sometimes have to play the part on and off-screen.
Kutcher's camera-cued playboy ways may have been an instance of just that -- appealing to the market as a fresh-faced kid (not too far from his skirt-chasing "That 70's Show" days as Michael Kelso). So when did the intersection between his public playboy persona and his stepdad of three homelife blow up in his face? We'd hazard a guess that it was around the time that Kutcher found himself in a hot tub with a few young ladies who don't look unlike the women in his Nikon commercials.
Check out Ashton's Nikon spots below:
