After the meltdown by many in the established media about the Republicans’ resounding victory in the USA election, an election that saw what happens when politicians and political parties become complacent and arrogantly take the electorate for granted; one thought struck me, has this election marked the beginning of the end for celebrity endorsement?
From Lady Gaga to Oprah Winfrey to George Clooney, celebrity after celebrity were wheeled out to persuade the voters to vote Democrat, but clearly it made no impression on the electorate. They were more interested in the economy, immigration and security than they were in what way their favourite film star or pop icon was going to vote.
Watching the events unfold this week I couldn’t help thinking about Rickie Gervais’ take down of the celebrities during his now iconic introduction at the Golden Globes Awards in 2020 – ‘You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg’.
So, is it time for marketers to have a serious re-think about celebrity endorsements? Will we now see more emphasis being placed on what a product or service can actually do for the consumer rather than what a scripted famous face has to tell you about it?
