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Celebrities are again appearing widely across many of this year’s holiday campaigns although studies have long questioned their effectiveness.
The stars coming out for holiday campaigns this year include Walton Goggins for Wal-Mart; Keira Knightley for Waitrose; Mariah Carey for Sephora; Kylie Jenner, Paris Hilton, and Khloé Kardashian for Ulta; Martha Stewart for American Eagle; Jennifer Saunders for Burberry; Benedict Cumberbatch for Amazon; and Kyle MacLachlan for Nordstrom.
Among the research finding celebrities failing to deliver: a 2010 study from Brand Strategy Insider showing that fewer than 12% of ads featuring celebrities exceeded a 10% lift. The consultancy said celebrity-backed ads have become less relevant as consumers have gained more control due to the arrival of social media.
Brand Strategy Insider said at the time, “Today’s consumer is informed, time-compressed, and difficult to impress, and they are only influenced by ads that are relevant and provide information. They don’t want to have products pushed at them, even from a celebrity.”
On the other hand: More recent research produced last year from Zappi, a London-based research firm focusing on the creator economy, found celebrity-driven ads grab people’s attention, and can create an emotional connection. Ads featuring celebrities had an average distinctiveness score of 3.5, while ads without a celebrity boasted an average score of 3.3.
However, Zappi’s study found brands are increasingly turning to influencers, especially micro- and mid-tier influencers, rather than A-list celebrities -- at least partly because the former are often more aligned in supporting the brand’s story. Zappi wrote, “The celebrity has to at least enhance the story in some way or play on what they are known for. Ultimately, when a celebrity is there just for attention, they can end up overshadowing the brand.”
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A 2022 study from researchers at Wharton nonetheless found celebrity advertising works, in part, because their mere presence increases the chances participants chose a product compared to non-celebrity actors. Tracing the reasoning in evolution, the researchers posited that the high social status and prestige associated with celebrities leads consumers to want to make the same choices as them, including having the products they’re promoting.
“That doesn’t mean a celebrity can make you choose a product that you hate,” Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson, a co-author and executive director and senior fellow at the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, told Knowledge at Wharton.
“Your strong preferences — if you absolutely love or hate something — don’t move, but there is a lot of wiggle room in there with products you might not yet have strong feelings about," Johnson added.
A recent white paper, “Maximizing Celebrity Ad Effectiveness” from Human Made Machine, the market research firm, found 80% of ads with top-tier celebrities drove significant increases in unaided brand awareness. However, “true effectiveness” was found to come from authentic alignment between the ambassador and a brand’s values. The study stated, “Ads are most effective when brands use partners who reflect the brand’s values authentically, and tell stories that fit naturally into a broader brand narrative.”