Celebrities often endorse the use of their likeness in different products, but why? Some of the benefits are somewhat obvious, being monetary in nature, but some benefits might be less obvious. Products from video games to casino games to cleaning and cooking products are often endorsed and marketed with the image of celebrities attached.
Star power is a real thing; anyone living around Hollywood can tell you. Seeing that a celebrity has endorsed a restaurant or product can make a big difference for not just fans of that particular celebrity, but other members of the public as well. Businesses, companies and products all understand this, and are all too happy to make use of the influence that celebrities can bring.
We’ve all seen celebrity images attached to kitchen devices, George Foreman Grill, anyone? But in this modern, increasingly digital world, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that celebrity likenesses are often used in online products and services. Everything from AAA games to what are, according to Erik King, the most popular online casino platforms in NZ, uses the images of celebrities to endorse, improve and market their digital products.
But what’s in it for the celebrities? Well, apart from the obvious in monetary gains, there are a number of different things that celebrities can stand to gain, or lose, from endorsing products.
Money Makes the World Go Around
We’ve mentioned that it’s obvious, but just because it’s obvious doesn’t mean we should discount it. For many celebrities, letting a product or service use their image can stop at the monetary gain they get from allowing it. When it comes to actual adverts, pulling in a big check from doing a commercial might not be the greatest thing, but more money is good money, right? Sometimes these agreements might even work on some sort of percentage rate, meaning that the more popular or influential the celebrity, the better a deal it is for them.
There are many examples of this. Musicians often give their name or likeness to certain products, especially ones related to an instrument that they are famous for using. Actors have been known to do work with video game companies, allowing them to capture their faces and represent more realistic representations in-game. Many online slot games like to use the images of sports stars, actors and other celebrities in their games to allow players to engage with the game on multiple levels of interaction at once.
Helping You, Helps Me
For some celebrities, attaching themselves to a product or service that they believe in, or that they believe represents things that they also stand for, can be a way to boost their own reputation. Especially if it’s a product that is used often for a particular purpose, every time someone is using it, they are reminded of that celebrity. Building familiarity and recognizability in this way is an excellent way for celebrities to remain relevant in an entertainment landscape that seems to move lightning fast.
The George Foreman Grill is a perfect example of this. Every time you are in the kitchen and see his name on the grill, you remember him. Truly, he was a household name that was synonymous with delicious food, and his brand and name are still recognizable today.
A Whole New World
Sometimes a celebrity might want to endorse a product and licence their image in order to broaden the audience that they reach. This can be done easily enough through endorsing something relatively universal, like an alcoholic drink or foodstuff. When people see or buy that product, they are likely to wonder who exactly that is on the label.
This is a good deal for celebrities who are looking to broaden their appeal outside of a specific niche. If someone wants to start working in different areas or taking on new sorts of work, this is a great way to expand their personal brand and make them more recognizable to more people.
Staying Relevant Amidst Fierce Competition
Many industries and circles that celebrities move in are very competitive. You might be the darling of the media one week, then utterly forgotten the next. Because of this, many celebrities try to build partnerships and licence products to ensure that they will remain in the zeitgeist for longer than a single media cycle. In this way, even when the headlines are focused on someone else in their niche, they still have something with their name or image on it circulating around.
This can most often be seen with athletes and musicians. As they age out of being able to perform, athletes often sell their likeness and reap the benefits of their successful careers, even as those careers sunset. Old musicians also often take this route, selling their likeness to be used in themed online slot games or to be included in documentaries and other products.
Legitimacy Through Osmosis is Possible
As we mentioned earlier, some celebrities are very careful about the types of products and services to which they licence their image or endorse. By being careful to align themselves with certain value sets, these celebrities are further building upon a personal brand or identity.
While in some cases this might simply be a case of someone only endorsing things that they fully believe in anyway, for others, this is a well-thought-out maneuver. By building a personal brand that is consistent, they are able to leverage that brand consistency to attain more licenses and endorsements in the same field.
Final Thoughts
Different celebrities can have all sorts of different reasons for endorsing products or licencing their image. For some celebrities, endorsing the right products can be a great career move, while for many it might simply be a case of picking up some extra cash.
Regardless of why exactly they do it, you can be sure that celebrities always benefit from endorsing products or licencing their image, which is by no means to say that it is a bad thing when they do it.