Celebrities in Commercials: Effectiveness, Examples and Readers’ Poll

Hiring a celebrity to do an ad for you is tough. You need to pay a lot of money and you might even need to persuade them because with some celebrities, the brand needs them more than they need the publicity and the paycheck.

Sometimes the reputation of the celebrity fits the brand. When BMW signed with Clive Owen, I should argue that they acted smartly. Because they did not just put him in a car. They made a mini-series that looked very much like short films where Clive was a contract driver and several exciting events followed him and his passenger. The driver is very much like Clive’s action film characters: precise, charismatic, smart and a little cheeky. Moreover Clive Owen is liked by both men and women.So I’d say Clive was worth it. But Brad Pitt and Richard Gere also appeared in ads for other brands. And apart from recognizing them, I don’t remember anything else.

Jon Bon Jovi became the face of the Kenneth Cole perfume. It looks like they prepared the ads after they signed Jon on because one of the slogans is: “Did you rock someone’s world?”

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is a popular young actor who prove himself in diverse roles. He became the face of Hugo Boss. The slogan was just a modern copy writer’s and the advertising student’s dream: “It’s just a fragrance. The rest is up to you.” They took a young, popular but not-in-your-face-celebrity type of an actor, cut out the exaggeration and made its point. It is, in my point of view, much more effective than all the other fragrance commercials that promise more action in your sexual life because you put on their scent.

L’oreal almost always works with celebrities. In fact I can’t count on how many celebrities they worked with over the years. Some include: Heather Locklear, Andie MacDowell and Jane Fonda.

Avon used Reese Witherspoon.

Chanel worked with Nicole Kidman.

And sometimes a brand throws in all the big names because well…it just can. Remember the Pepsi commercial that had Shakira, Beyoncé and David Beckham all at once?

The examples are endless. It is an ever-discussed topic in the world of advertising. Some companies seem strategic and some just seem to love casting celebrities for the sake of it. And here is my poll:

- Is it worth it? Do the brands gain increased brand awareness and generate more sales and revenues?

-Even if an effect is achieved, does it last?

- Do you care which celebrity endorses which brand? If you hate the celebrity, would you stop buying the product? Or would you buy a product you didn’t really know about because a celebrity you liked endorsed it?

- From an advertiser’s point of view, would you try this method if you could afford it?

- Do you believe in the significance of relevance? Like Clive Owen in BMW or Jonathan Rhys Meyers for Hugo?