Unprofitable Famous Star Ads

Today, consumers are mostly influenced by social networks, and not famous faces per se.

Miss Universe Amparo Muñoz then and now courtesy: beautyroyals.beautymania.biz

(MADRID) - Actress and 1974 Miss Universe Amparo Muñoz has passed away. She began her career as a commercial model after she was crowned as the most beautiful woman in the world in Manila, the Philippines. She was previously chosen as Miss Costa del Sol and Miss Spain in 1973.

Golf star Justin Rose and tennis star Maria Sharapova are the image of world renowned Swiss watches. Supermodel Kate Moss will sell her image to a cosmetic and fragrance company. Iker Casillas has become a comics character for a multinational’s new ad campaign promoting sports-training shoes. The Scottish actor, Gerard Butler, sold his image to a fragrance company. Pep Guardiola has become an image for the financial sector.

American actress Megan Fox has sold her face to a jewelry brand. German soccer star, Sami Khedira, is the new image of a soccer cleats brand. Daughter to a Danish father and a Polish mother, New York born American actress Scarlett Johansson is the new image of alcoholic drinks.

Moreover, the prestigious American magazine AdAge has conducted a research study on T.V. spot ads in the United States. According to this study, ads that display famous stars have much more profitability than those that do not, such as normal T.V. commercials. While 12 percent of the ads with famous faces can achieve a 10 percent growth, 1 out of 5 can have negative consequences on the profitability due to the slips of these stars when it comes to their personal lives.

Today’s consumers are not like those from 5 years ago. Therefore, what used to be effective in the past does not necessarily mean it is still effective today. Today, consumers are mostly influenced by social networks, and not famous faces per se.

This new context will lead companies and multinationals to study new ways of producing attractive and effective ads, as well as how to avoid the high salary paid to famous faces. (Translated by Gianna A. Sanchez-Moretti)

He has been Associate Professor of Business Management at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Navarra and a contributor to the Madrid daily ABC. He also spent several years teaching, both in the Official School of Advertising as the School of Information Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid. In 1985 he was awarded the Gold Master, granted by the Senior Management Forum and AMPE Prize 1996 to the "long and brilliant career advertising."

You can write to Clemente at this address: clementeferrer3@gmail.com