Celebrity advertising uses public figures to sell products, either through endorsements or unauthorized use of their likeness. Brands target celebrities who reflect the desired effects of advertising, but some celebrities may not even use the product. Bootleg merchandise featuring a celebrity’s image is restricted from major retail outlets. Infomercials featuring celebrities are also common.
Celebrity advertising is the use of the likeness of a public figure for the purpose of selling a product or service. Celebrity advertising can be accomplished through celebrity endorsements, whereby the celebrity consents to their likeness being used in advertisements for a particular brand. Celebrity advertising without the celebrity’s consent results in products that are referred to as “bootleg” or “knock-off” merchandise, which feature the celebrity’s photo or likeness on a product.
Celebrity endorsements imply that the celebrity uses the product or service they are endorsing and prefers it over others of its kind. For this reason, brands will often target celebrities who appear to reflect the promising effects of advertising. For example, celebrities who are already fit are often approached to represent fitness and weight loss products, and stars famous for their hair are approached to endorse certain brands of shampoo. In some cases, the celebrity may not even use the product or service. Celebrities who knowingly deceive the public in exchange for profits in this regard are often criticized for “selling out”. For this reason, many North American celebrities have chosen to endorse products for advertisements that are only shown overseas, particularly in Japan.
One of the most iconic examples of celebrity advertising is the George Foreman Grill. Once known for his championship boxing, George Foreman is perhaps best known today for endorsing his namesake grill, which he claims reduces fat in the kitchen. Like many celebrity-endorsed products, the George Foreman Grill was brought to public attention through a series of repetitive television commercials. In some cases, celebrity TV endorsements exceed the length of a standard commercial; these commercials are known as “infomercials” or “paid programming.” Some celebrities who have appeared in infomercials include: Victoria Principal for Principal Secret, Daisy Fuentes for Winsor Pilates and Chuck Norris for Total Gym.
Celebrity advertising through merchandising usually consists of the celebrity’s likeness, either through an actual photo of the celebrity or a facsimile reflecting certain iconic aspects of the celebrity’s image. For example, a product that is not endorsed by Elvis Presley’s estate but still carries a picture of the hairstyle, pose, etc. The singer’s would be considered bootleg merchandise. Restrictions prohibit the sale of the bootleg merchandise in most major retail outlets; however, flea markets and discount stores have been known to carry such items.
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