Do celebrities make ads more effective? The answer is, "not usually." But ultimately it depends on how you use them. It has long been proven that when you use a celebrity in your advertising more people will recall the ad. The problem is that most people will remember the celebrity and not the message. Still, advertisers continue to use celebrities (myself included) to pitch their products and services because there are some potential advantages. The celebrity can be used to simply get your business noticed or to add credibility to your offer by playing on the popularity of a local icon. Like anything else in advertising, its effectiveness is all in the way that it's executed. Celebrity endorsements usually look like just another predictable pitch from someone who has been bought, like a testimonial from a customer. Much of the effectiveness of the creative has to do with whether or not the public accepts the pitch. If you force it down their throats, they'll simply turn a blind eye. It has to be interesting, revealing, or humorous so that the listener is rewarded for staying with it. It must be believable. If you are to use a testimonial or a local celebrity – who doesn't happen to be an actor – you should think about interviewing the person rather than having them read from a prepared script. A scripted pitch is usually the kiss of death for an ad.
Spokespeople are another issue. Yes spokespeople are better than a standard voice over. But another pretty face doesn't do anything to make your ads resonate with your audience. Most advertisers use spokespeople because they can't think of a strong creative concept. Many advertising agencies recommend a spokesperson with the justification that it provides continuity and an easily identifiable aspect to a brand.
Even worse, many TV and Radio reps usually encourage the business owner or manager to be their own spokesperson because they will get a lot of response from their friends and neighbors and therefore be satisfied that it's working. But remember that you should never confuse response with results. Yes, sometimes the business owner or manager has an insatiable ego that needs to be stroked; but for the most part, business owners deliver their own message because they're the most passionate about it. Most of the time the spokesperson is not good on camera, and when you couple that with scripted copy that's full of clichs and a production staff that has no creativity - you've got a less effective ad on the air.
The key is to make sure that there is an endearing quality to whomever you use. Whether you like him or not, Perry Sporn form Perrywinkle's is engagingly different, in a queer sort of way. Who can argue the quirky effectiveness of Ray, husband of Nina, or, for those of us old enough to remember, the long-standing lovability of Red Elmore from Redi-Built Garages. The confidence of Lee Iacocca or the audacity of Colonel Sanders are both examples of strong spokesperson traits. There has to be something for the public to latch on to. A loveable, laughable, eccentric character, or a daring piece that displays a clear level of integrity needs to be present if you're going to have success with a spokesperson. If the viewer can say, "you know what, I believe her," or, "he is different from all the rest," or, "he's a little different but he makes me laugh" then by all means go ahead and use a spokesperson. Just make sure that the creative is engaging, the position is relevant, and the copy is not predictable. Otherwise, people will simply disengage as soon as they see him/her on the air. There has to be something to draw you in and make you believe.
In the end it comes down to making it work. Don't settle for response when it's results your looking for.
Using any old celebrity is like wetting your pants in a dark suit. It gives you a warm feeling, but nobody else will even notice.
Keep climbing,
Jake
