The Right Way to Use Celebrities to Endorse Brands

Becca // February 10, 2011 // Advertising // No Comments

It’s well-known that advertisers like to use celebrities to endorse brands and, in theory, it makes sense. People look up to celebrities and want to be like them, so when they see someone they admire associated with a certain product, they may be more apt use or buy that product.

If you are an advertiser looking to capitalize on a celebrity endorsement, there are two main questions you’ll want to ask yourself:

1) Is the celebrity you chose the right fit to reach your desired target audience?

2) Are people going to believe that this celebrity actually uses or likes this produce? Advertisers need to make it convincing. They need to make the audience believe that the celebrity is in this commercial for something other than the million dollar paycheck. If the product advertised is on the less-expensive side, the chances of the ad being persuasive dramatically decreases. Everyone knows celebrities have a lot of money and aren’t shopping through the bargain bin.

Out of the thousands of brands that have used celebrities, there are three brands that illustrate these points best. Below is an example of a brand who has done this completely right, one that has done it half-way right and one that was not right at all.

1. Let’s start with the brand whose celebrity choice doesn’t make any sense — Sketchers Shape-Ups

When the product first launched, they focused on reaching young women with the message that just by walking in this shoe, you can have nice, tone legs and a great backside. How nice, something that helps you get a better body without the effort. It reached at least one person in its target audience, it got my roommate (a women in the target audience) to purchase the product, and without using a celebrity to endorse it.

Then last year, they decided to incorporate a celebrity into the campaign and they chose Joe Montana. Really, Joe Montana for Shape-Ups?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO18BZxtC0g]

It is hard to see how Joe Montana would be the right celebrity choice to reach the brand’s target audience. Sure, some woman watch football, but this type of commercial, with an older, male football icon, is not what will persuade its audience to purchase. It also dictates away from Shape-Up’s message — get a better body without the effort. Showing Joe Montana playing football does quite the opposite. It just seems like a complete disconnect between what the brand is and who the brand is trying to reach.

Not to mention the fact that Joe Montana is worth quite a lot of money. The commercial does not convince me that he actually wears these $100 shoes when he goes on walks. If his knees are in pain, wouldn’t he have custom shoes made?

Shape-Ups did make a switch and use Kim Kardashian in its Super Bowl commercial on Sunday. Maybe they felt she was the better suited celebrity for this, or better yet, more attractive and appealing to the core audience – the males that watch the game. Yet, Joe Montana still is the main celebrity representing their brand. Even though Kim Kardashian appeared during the Super Bowl, Joe Montana did as well. He wore a Shape-Ups polo while commentating during the All-Star Challenge, which featured quarterbacks from top universities competing in a competition. Oddly enough the competition was sponsored by Shape-Ups. Once again, a major disconnect between the brand and their target audience.

2. Now let’s looks at a brand that is half-way there – Garnier Haircolor

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkjdeNdzxSQ]

Sarah Jessica Parker is the perfect celebrity for Garnier’s target audience. This product is made primarily for women who might be going a little gray and need to start covering it up. As a  fashion icon who is famous for her role as the quintessential female, she is relate-able to the woman the ad is trying to reach.

Whether or not those women are convinced to buy the product is another story. SJP made millions with Sex and the City and there is no way she uses a box of hair color that costs $10 to cover up her gray.

3. Right on the money — Tim Tebow for FRS Healthy Energy Drink

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO8imsZl1F8]

After the controversy over Tim Tebow’s 2010 Pro-Life Super Bowl commercial, it’s understandable that to some it might not have been the wisest decision for FRS Healthy Energy Drink to use him in another commercial. Yet, even despite this controversy, he still is a role model to children. He was told the entire time he was growing up he would never be a star football player. The commercial shows how his determination, drive and that drinking FRS Healthy Energy Drink helped him not only reach this goal, but become a first round quarterback draft pick for the Denver Broncos.

Children look up to pro athletes and want to be just like them. This commercial reached the brand’s primary audience, children, by showing them they can do anything they put their mind to. The brand also went above and beyond and reached their secondary audience, parents, by saying this drink is also healthy.

The commercial is also quite convincing that he actually drinks the product. Athletes have their specific sports drink of choice that works specifically for them. No one actually sees what they drink on the field (unless it is complete product placement by Gatorade with those water bottles). So, how is anyone to know if he actually doesn’t drink this?

Advertisers really need to pay attention to these two key components when creating ad campaigns in the future. Consumers want two things when being served ads – to be entertained and to be convinced to purchase or use the product. Of course being entertained drives conversation, but the convincing part is what advertisers care about — that’s what makes them the money.

Until these main areas are addressed, we are going to continue to see celebrity ad campaigns that are not quite on target. What do you think?