Dead stars who rain money on the living

What happens to celebrities after they die? Well, for an increasing number of them, they are likely to end up endorsing a product they would never have imagined in their lifetime, will have their faces plastered over everything from credit cards to mouse pads, and will find their earnings outstripping their mortal returns.

The news this week that Corbis, the digital image company set up by Bill Gates in 1989, has bought a Beverly Hills company which owns the image rights to more than 50 deceased celebrities, has focused attention once again on the entertainment industry's ability to resurrect the dead.

The Roger Richman Agency holds the rights to some of the key figures of the past century, from Mae West and the Marx Brothers to Steve McQueen and Vivien Leigh.

But its roster is not restricted to Hollywood. The Richman agency also holds the rights to a slate of personalities whose appeal goes beyond the confines of film. Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, the Wright brothers and Isaac Asimov have all appeared after their deaths thanks to its offices. "The broad appeal of legendary personalities offers an inspiring way for creatives around the world to tell their stories," said Steve Davis, president of Corbis.

In other words, dead celebrities help to sell things. The Richman agency was the company that engineered one of Steve McQueen's best-remembered performances: as the driver screaming through the streets of San Francisco in a TV commercial for Ford cars.

That the commercial was made several years after the actor's death, and that it incorporated some of the best-known scenes from one of his best-loved films, Bullitt, only served to heighten its impact.

"Our legendary personalities are evergreen 'brands' with the benefit of worldwide recognition," reads a message on the Richman agency's website.

"Merchandise licensees from around the world are successfully manufacturing and distributing products using our distinguished personalities.

"Corporate America has discovered the power of a classic!" the website continues. "The Roger Richman Agency's celebrated personalities deliver instant recognition, recall and credibility to your advertising campaign and/or promotional program."

The Richman agency was set up 27 years ago by the Hollywood lawyer Roger Richman, a pioneer of celebrity rights legislation in the US. Other than the Steve McQueen Bullitt commercial, it has been involved in several notable uses of dead celebrities' images, including the licensing of Baby Einstein, an educational toy company owned by the Disney Corporation.

For Corbis the opportunity to acquire the Richman agency allows it to expand its share of a booming market.

"We are really interested in expanding the roster to include more celebrities," said Corbis vice-president Gary Shenk. "There are plenty of iconic people ... that are not managed in a professional manner."

And dead people are far less demanding than live celebrities: Corbis will take a 20% cut of the profits from any endorsements, double the usual rate for a living celebrity endorsement.

The use of dead celebrities in advertising and marketing is a strategy that has grown exponentially in recent years, fuelled in part by the development of e-commerce.

Corbis, which is the number two provider of images, saw its revenue grow 22% in 2004 to $170.4m (£91.1m). Revenue is expected to grow by a further 20% this year. Getty Images, the market leader, expects to generate revenue of more than $700m (£374m) in 2005.

A recent study by Forbes magazine found that the leading dead celebrity earner was Elvis Presley, who brought in $40m each year, followed by the Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, JRR Tolkien, and John Lennon.

Last year Elvis Presley Enterprises was sold by the singer's daughter, Lisa Marie, for $100m.

Immortals

Celebrities represented by the agency bought by Corbis:

James Cagney; WC Fields; Betty Grable; Boris Karloff; Burt Lancaster; Gypsy Rose Lee; Vivien Leigh; Walter Matthau; Steve McQueen; Basil Rathbone; Gloria Swanson; Rudolf Valentino; Johnny Weissmuller; Mae West; George Burns & Gracie Allen; Marx Brothers; Leonard Bernstein; Maria Callas; Maurice Chevalier; Bobby Darin; Harry James; Al Jolson; Isaac Asimov; Andrew Carnegie; Albert Einstein; Sigmund Freud; the Wright brothers; Mark Foo