Tom Cruise may buddy up to Royals to give Top Gun 'stamp of approval'

It’s Tom SCHMOOZE! PR experts suggest Top Gun star may be using industry trick known as the ‘brand halo effect’ of buddying up to Prince William and Kate to give his new movie the ‘royal stamp of approval’ (and it’s not the first time!)

  • Tom Cruise may be buddying up to Royals to give his film ‘stamp of approval’
  • The actor’s long-awaited film Top Gun: Maverick is hitting cinemas this month
  • PR experts have suggested he may be using the trick of being pictured beside royalty including Prince William and Kate to boost his new movie 

Tom Cruise may be using industry trick known as the ‘brand halo effect’ of buddying up to Prince William and Kate to give his new film the ‘royal stamp of approval’.

The 59-year-old actor’s long-awaited film Top Gun: Maverick is hitting cinemas at the end of this month.

PR experts have suggested the star may be using the trick of being pictured beside royalty to boost his new movie.

PR chief Lida Citroen told MailOnline: ‘There’s something called a ‘brand halo effect’ that many individuals, celebrities and organisations pursue. 

Stepping up: She’s two inches taller than him, but Tom Cruise still managed to measure up to Kate Middleton as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere

Looking tall: Tom gave Kate, 40, a helping hand as they climbed the staircase, and he appeared to be almost the same height as the mother-of-three as they took the stairs side-by-side

Heels: Kate, who attended the event with her husband Prince William, looked elegant in an off-the-shoulder black dress which she teamed with pointed black steep high heels

Heel lifts: Tom’s fluctuating height has sparked speculation he wears shoe inserts, which are are insoles that can be placed inside a shoe to lift the wearer’s heel up

Princess Diana met Tom Cruise and his co-star and then-wife Nicole Kidman in 1992 at the charity Premiere of ‘Far and Away’ at the Empire, Leicester Square

‘The idea behind the brand halo is that if you show yourself to be in relationship with something good, something positive, that goodness and positivity rubs off on you.

‘This makes you and your organisation seem more favourable and an endorsement is implied.

‘An example of this is when someone unrelated shows themselves to be close to someone who’s seen to have a lot of influence. 

‘We see people hang around celebrities, want to be photographed at high profile events, and to be seemingly ‘endorsed’ by well-liked entities online. 

‘It’s possible this is the strategy behind Cruise’s promotion of his new movie with an institution as popular and well-recognised as the Royal Family. 


Chatting: At the star-studded premiere, Tom was seen mingling with his co-stars Miles Teller and Jennifer Connolly

‘This is a common practice in celebrity positioning.’

Another PR boss, Jennifer Hodgson, told MailOnline: ‘In terms of the royal stamp of approval, this doesn’t just count for the film industry.

‘Having this is pivotal for everything from campaigns to brands and everything in between. We see this in terms of fashion every day: The Duchess of Cambridge wears a dress – it sells out the same day. 

‘Brands then in turn use this as a selling tool for further press and marketing opportunities and to enhance both brand credibility and consumer trust. 

‘Leveraging high profile authoritative figures to increase awareness is an already existing tactic in PR which he has very successfully done by having the royals in attendance.’

All together now: The Top Gun: Maverick cast posed for a magnificent group photo in front of a fighter plane



In his element: Tom pulled a number of animated faces as he welcomed fans to the premiere

It’s also not the first time the A-lister film star has been in hot water over plugging his work. 

Princess Diana met Tom Cruise and his co-star and then-wife Nicole Kidman in 1992 at the charity Premiere of ‘Far and Away’ at the Empire, Leicester Square.

While Cruise may have sparked frantic scenes in Windsor on Sunday afternoon ahead of his role in The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration, just hours later, he was slammed online for ‘plugging’ his forthcoming feature during the special evening – which was played out on ITV. 

The 59-year-old American film star, whose net worth is thought to be a cool £490.2million, sat down for an interview with Phillip Schofield and Julie Etchingham during the celebratory evening, but was soon at the heart of Twitter discussion after speaking of his upcoming film at length. 

 ‘Why has he promoted his new film?’: Tom Cruise has been slammed by ITV viewers for ‘plugging’ Top Gun: Maverick during The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration on Sunday

Top Gun: Maverick is the anticipated sequel to the 1986 original Top Gun, with its release initially slated for July 12, 2019, before complex flight sequences, the Covid pandemic and scheduling conflicts pushed it back to 2022. 

‘Every film I make is important, but this one, people have been asking for decades. For decades I’ve been thinking ‘what could I do?”, the Hollywood icon explained to Phillip, 60, and Julie, 52. 

The production of the new instalment was ’emotional’ for Tom, but taking the step to create a sequel to the commercial hit was ‘for the fans.’ 

Interview: The 59-year-old film star sat down for an interview with Phillip Schofield and Julie Etchingham during the celebratory evening, but was soon at the heart of Twitter discussion after speaking of his upcoming film at length

Upcoming: Top Gun: Maverick is the anticipated sequel to the 1986 original Top Gun (Tom Cruise pictured in the first movie)

Open: The production of the new instalment was ’emotional’ for Tom, but taking the step to create a sequel to the commercial hit was ‘for the fans’

While the actor did speak highly of the monarch, ITV viewers were not impressed that more emphasis was placed on his latest career venture. 

‘Why has Tom Cruise just promoted his new film?’ one tweet read. 

Another viewer penned: ‘So you think if #TomCruise didn’t have a big film release, would he have appeared here for #platinumjubilee ??’ 

A third sarcastic tweet read: ‘Thought it was the Queen’s Jubilee not an opportunity for Tom Cruise to promote himself’.  

Having their say: While the actor did speak highly of the monarch, ITV viewers were not impressed that more emphasis was placed on his latest career venture

Proud moment: Elsewhere in his interview, a suited and booted Tom gushed: ‘It’s a wonderful event. It’s an honour to be here. It’s a privilege’

Elsewhere in his interview, a suited and booted Tom gushed: ‘It’s a wonderful event; it’s an honour to be here. It’s a privilege.’

Of the monarch’s milestone occasion, Tom added: ‘She is just a woman that I greatly admire. She has tremendous devotion and I admire her dignity. I love the history. I have great respect for her.

‘It’s wonderful, I really love the tradition. What a moment!’

Continuing his praise, Tom said: ‘Presidents, world leaders, people of all walks of life, not just in America but the world, knows dignity and devotion and kindness – something I’ve always felt about her.’

Tom revealed a previous brush with royalty during the interview, as he recalled when he met the Duke Of Edinburgh, Prince Philip revealed he’d been the first person to land a helicopter at Buckingham Palace.

Iconic: Phillip shared a photo with the film star on Instagram and wrote: ‘Just checking our tuxedos before the show .. as you do!! @tomcruise #platinumjubilee #topgunmaverick’

Source: Read Full Article

Previous post Doctor, 85, faces jail term after admitting manslaughter
Next post Thirty cut-price summer breaks from Corfu to the Caribbean