Celebrities have the networking capabilities and financial resources to putsherre2 their names on almost anything. Take for example, Sheree from my favorite show, the Real Housewives of Atlanta, she isn’t a fashion designer nor is she a model, but now she is coming out with her own clothing line, SHE by Sheree. It’s possible because she knows the right people and has enough money in her bank account.

What happens when a celebrity talks to the right people and gets tied into a brand or a cause? Does it attract favorable attention to the product, brand or campaign? Do the celebrities truthfully have a passion about the issue?

Some celebrity endorsements include:

Why add a celebrity to your cause?

Christie Adams said in her PR in Canada blog that celebrity endorsements create opportunities for the brand. Celebrity endorsements enhance the communication elements of a pr plan.

Getting a celebrity on board with an issue or cause can bring that extra needed attention. If they can draw more attention to your cause, the large amounts a celebrities charge, could actually be well worth it.

When a Celebrity Endorser Finds Trouble

Cleveland Browns’ player Braylon Edwards is the spokesperson for 5-hour Energy drinks. If you follow the NFL, you know that Braylon Edwards hasn’t been catching many passes lately. So does that mean this 5-hour Energy shot really isn’t that great? No, it doesn’t. However, some may think Braylon’s performance has something to do with the energy drink. That’s probably why 5-hour Energy drinks have a new spokesman, Osi Umenyiora from the New York Giants.

Another example is Michael Vick who is a former Nike endorser. After he pled guilty to dog fighting charges, Nike suspended all sales of Vick’s brand of shoes. Nike was also protested by animal rights’ groups.

The corporation was stuck doing damage control and crisis communications to offset the negative publicity caused by Vick’s actions. When deciding to book these celebrities for brand promotions, I think it’s a good idea to have extra room in the budget to do damage control when that celebrity acts unfavorably.

Are the Celebrities Really Passionate about the Product?

I believe the celebrity endorsements for Proactiv acne treatments have contributed to the product’s success. Some celebrities who promote the product include:

I honestly believe these top celebrities have had skin problems in the past. They were probably sent Proactiv as a gift to try and it worked for them. Since they liked the product, they signed contracts to do advertisements for it. Actually using the product enables them to make personal testimonies. Here is a proactive commercial featuring Jessica Simpson.

This ad is very believable and it probably has inspired many people to purchase proactiv. This raises another question. As Annie McGilvray said in her pr blog, if the celebrity really liked the product that much, would they promote it for free?

My Take on Celebrity Endorsements?

If I were a pr professional working on a campaign, I would be glad to get a celebrity tied into it. I would make room in the budget to cover crisis management. I would also try to find a celebrity who has a true interest or passion in my campaign. Otherwise, it would seem as if I added the celebrity endorsement only to draw extra attention to the campaign. A passionate celebrity would bring the right kind of attention to my campaign.