I'm A Celebrity...Give Me A Product To Endorse

Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli is the latest to put his name to a range of products, in his case a new range of organic baby foods. But just how important is the attachment of a celebrity name and how much does it impress or influence the consumer?

The key always is the synergy between the brand and the personality, particularly if the celebrity name is going to become as intrinsic to the product as Zilli for his baby food, Loyd Grossman for his sauces and, of course, George Foreman and his lean, mean grilling machine. The question is whether the celebrity brings more to the table than the product itself. If the celebrity is a trusted name and is perceived to be involved with the product beyond just lending a name and a face, then this can be a powerful marketing tool. In this sense, people like George Foreman actually become the brand.

Of course, the use of celebrity endorsement is endemic in brand communications. You only need take two minutes to come up with names like Jamie Oliver (Sainsbury’s), Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal (Waitrose) and the loved-up Louise and Jamie Rednapp doing the business for Thomas Cook. Even John Prescott is doing a turn for moneysupermarket.com whilst rock god, Iggy Pop (and his latex double) are fronting a car insurance campaign.

But there’s also a risk. It’s easier to drop your celebrity if they are perceived to have behaved ‘badly’ or not in keeping with the brand values. It is far less easy to drop them if they are in fact, the brand itself.