Celebrity advertising comes in the forms of endorsements as spokespersons, advertising, branding, product design and placement. A common form is the use of celebrities in print advertisements and commercials or as a spokesperson for a cause. Another kind of celebrity advertising is the use of the celebrity’s name on a product line, such as clothing, perfume, cosmetics and exercise equipment. Products can also be used within media, such as album covers, music videos and dramatic productions.
A prevalent form of celebrity advertising is using stars in product and service commercials. These commercials usually involve a script that communicates the celebrity’s rationale for using the product. For example, instead of just showing the celebrity using the product, the celebrity will state why he uses it. In some cases, a celebrity may even share a personal account of how this product helped to remedy a particular problem.
Infomercials sometimes use celebrities to endorse products, services or causes. The celebrity is the prominent spokesperson in the infomercial and may interview other unknown users of the product. Cause or social marketing pitches could involve the use of the celebrity’s image on all promotional materials and his participation in some of the cause’s events. For example, the spokesperson for a breast cancer organization might participate in some of the charity’s walks to raise money and awareness for the disease.
Those who have achieved notoriety and fame may also choose to partner with companies to market products. This form of celebrity advertising often uses the star’s name as the product’s brand. His name may become the brand itself or be used as part of it. For example, a clothing line may indicate that it is designed by the celebrity while a perfume may simply be branded with the celebrity’s nickname.
Another more subtle form of celebrity advertising is the use of product placement. Musicians may feature certain brands and types of products in the media they produce. Celebrities may wear the clothing of a designer to high-profile events and mention the designer’s name to journalists. Companies may partner with celebrities to agree to integrate each other’s products into their media.
Similar to co-branding, the company may produce a commercial that uses images of the star’s latest project and shows him or her using the company’s product. A promotional campaign that includes the use of point of sale displays may feature the celebrity’s image and artistic work. With this type of collaboration, the consumer gets exposed to both products simultaneously, with the hopes of stimulating sales for both the celebrity’s work and the company’s product.