Written By Dohne Damons
Have you ever bought a product just because your favourite celebrity endorsed it?
The answer is likely yes. We have instant access to celebrities, and we view their strategic communication daily on social media.
Endorsements are a blue tick of approval and a sign that a celebrity’s star status is highly impactful.
This wasn’t always true.
In the early nineties only dimming stars in need of another bump would enter into the market of Quality Value Convenience.
Today it is a measure of a celebrity’s success.
Endorsement deals come rushing through as soon as a celebrity’s star rises.
Take Siya Kolisi and Nomzamo Mbatha as examples.
Being the captain of the national rugby team in South Africa carries a huge responsibility. It also offers the person wearing the armband a newly found fanbase that grows with the success of the national team.
As the South African Springbok Captain and a member of the World Cup winning team, Kolisi received many endorsement deals. These include Adidas, MTN, Land Rover and Rock Nation. He is also the face of the crypto currency platform Luno.
Another celebrity whose star status has risen internationally is Nomzamo Mbatha.
She holds international movie roles in “Coming to America 2” and the soon to be released film “Assassin” which sees her sharing the screen with Bruce Willis.
Her star status was already known well before she landed these roles and in 2015 she was the first South African selected to be the face of Neutrogena. Other endorsement deals include Audi, L’Oreal, PUMA and McDonald’s.
The products celebrity’s endorse gain appeal and you’re subliminally connecting to it as a result.
So the next time you’re out shopping and you find your eye landing on a brand you suddenly prefer, ask yourself, “Did a celeb make me buy this?”
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