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Friday, Feb 8, 2013 8:20 PM UTC

Justin Timberlake named creative director of Bud Lite Platinum

The singer is one of many recent pop icons to join the trend of pop stars collaborating with corporations

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Topics: Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, bud lite platinum, creative director, Advertising, Celebrity, pop music,

Justin Timberlake named creative director of Bud Lite Platinum (Credit: Chris Pizzello/invision/ap)

Bud Lite Platinum, the moonshine of beers, has named pop star Justin Timberlake as its new creative director. The new higher alcoholic-content, cobalt blue cousin of Bud Lite “brings a refined discerning aesthetic to beer that plays well with what I’m doing,” says the singer, who in 2013 has planned his own high-powered return (or so he says) with upcoming album “20/20 Experience.”

Timberlake is the latest star to join in the recent trend of pop singers gaining creative control of international brands. In 2011, Lady Gaga designed the Grey Label line for Polaroid; in 2012, rapper and space cowboy will.i.am gained control over the “compute continuum” at Intel; a few weeks ago Alicia Keys became the global creative director for BlackBerry.

Before you roll your eyes at celebs getting more power, though, The Guardian writes about how they could be a “win-win” situation for fans, consumers and corporations:

It’s obvious that this sort of arrangement has a mutual benefit – the companies know that kids will react more strongly to, say, Lady Gaga than a balding divisional conglomerate head, and the celebrities can flatter themselves to think that they’re anything other than a last-ditch attempt to save a firm from bankruptcy.

Okay, feel free to roll your eyes…now.

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com. More Prachi Gupta.

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