Celebrity Endorsements: Making an Impact

These days, it seems that every product or service is endorsed by a celebrity. Whether it be made by a famous actor, musician, or athlete, celebrity endorsements can make or break a new product campaign. Yet sometimes the focus is not always on selling a product, but rather supporting a cause. Lance Armstrong teamed up with Nike in support of the "It's About You" campaign, which is designed to "inspire and mobilize the world in the fight against cancer." The campaign advertisement, seen here, reminds the viewer of Armstrong's fight with cancer and of his perseverance to succeed against the odds.

I believe that Lance Armstrong is a great celebrity to support the campaign as his survivor story is both inspiring and motivational to current victims. Nike, known for its involvement with the community, provides a strong backbone to the campaign adding another image of health and strength.

Armstrong's endorsement of Nike during this campaign lends the company positive publicity, and therefore more viewers are likely to buy Nike products because they associate the products with both Armstrong and the "It's About You" campaign. Supporting charities has always been a fad among consumers and in this case I'm positive the campaign will prove successful for both Nike and Armstrong. He already has the respect of many because of his previous cancer awareness program and this new campaign will be sure to add to his popularity.

In this article, the authors have compiled what they believe to be the main factors having influence on a successful celebrity endorsement: credibility, attractiveness, and power. Armstrong has all three of these attributes as defined by the article. In this way, the campaign should prove to be successful for Armstrong, Nike, and "It's About You" program.

Photo Credit:
www.socialitelife.celebuzz.com