Big River on...... Celebrity Endorsement Part Two: It's What They Do, Not Who They Are

It seems that Morrisons, UK's 4th largest supermarket, has dropped its celebrity-based ad campaign and replace them with new ones staring, erm, children. While not all companies are following suite, there is a growing sense that traditional celebrity endorsement is a bit, erm, blase.

Perhaps they are just to darn many of them around. Hell, watching Christiano Ronalda straining to pronounce "it's liquid engineering" whilst extolling the merit of a make of engine oil one moment followed by him bicycle-kicking the sun (try just kicking the ball next time son) in trying to expound the cooling effect of an anti-dandruff shampoo is just jarring. It is a bit 'me too' and frankly boring. In fact, I can go so far as saying that most celeb campaigns right now is just bad marketing.

Now, having a celebcentric campaign where the celebrities in question have proper jobs (or at least jobs that relates properly to the product) might work. Example, having celebrity chefs endorsing food product. Brilliant. UK's Waitrose supermarket had just launched a co-branding effort with Chef Heston Blumenthal. In fact, similar partnerships are abound just as similar opportunities. Cross-branding coupled with well thought-off partnership just give any campaign that proper well-marketed sheen. The images and messages touch base yet is free from straining cliches. It just feels right.

So, buying a vanilla mayonnaise with Blumenthal's name on it feels right. But Ronaldo endorsing engine oil, I don't think so. Him driving a BMW M3 I can believe but topping up on oil, no way. Mr. Zero Dandruff doesn't even know where the filler cap is in his BMW.......