Celebrity Endorsements

Every week you can read fun celebrity chat with the Mecca Bingo celebrity column and play bingo online for some big cash prizes. This week we decided to take a look at celebrity endorsements. After all, a celebrity’s not a celebrity without lending their name to one brand or another at some point throughout their career. Name a celeb and we bet we can tell you of at least one product they’ve endorsed on TV, in magazines, or through sponsorship deals.

The reason for this is pretty obvious; money! Advertisers will offer vast sums of money to celebs for saying that they love this particular brand of make-up/shampoo/soft drink/supermarket. In the hope that we, the public, will then rush out to buy said make-up/shampoo/soft drink or shop at said supermarket. There is of course also the chance that the celebs in question do actually use this particular brand or shop at this particular shop. And, especially in the case of supermarkets, celebs have to make at least some effort to ensure that they are seen actively practising what they preach. If not, not only will we know they are big fakes simply in it for the money, they also risk losing their sponsorship deal and losing out on a valuable source of easily-earned extra income. 

So, if Kerry Katona (or McFadden, or whatever her surname is these days) has to be seen carrying out a few bags from Iceland every now and again, well it’s no skin of her nose. Not with the amount she’s probably getting paid for it anyway. No doubt Iceland bosses think she’s well worth it; epitomising their brand image with her down-to-earth, busy Mum persona. The drug-taking rumours (and admissions of past dabblings from the girl herself) are probably best skimmed over and, for now at least, Kerry can still regularly be seen gracing our TV screens chirpily declaring: “that’s why Mums go to Iceland!” as she slaps a load of mini sausage rolls on a plate for some unidentified child’s birthday party.

It’s not just Kerry who can be seen gracing the isles of your local supermarket; not if the adverts are anything to go by anyway. Sharon Osbourne has, in recent years, gone from rock star’s wife to one of the most famous and beloved Mums on the box. And along with this rise to a new kind of fame (thanks to Sharon’s bubbly and outspoken personality on The Osbournes initially, which then led to a regular judging slot on The X Factor) has come many opportunities for making a bit of extra cash on the side, in the form of advertising and product endorsements. As a result, Sharon has regularly been spotted on our TV screens, merrily patting her bum and bothering pensioners – we’re talking of course about the ASDA adverts, with their merry little catchphrase of “pocket the difference”. Once again, a supermarket chain trying to convince us that a celeb, with two mansions to call home and Posh and Becks on speed-dial, is really just a down-to-earth Mum who can probably be spotted nipping into ASDA after filming The X Factor to pick up a tin of smart price beans for tea.

It’s obviously a tried and tested advertising formula though, and the latest celeb to be spotted wandering around ASDA with a camera crew in tow, this time hassling members of staff as they try to make bread for the bakery section, is comedienne Victoria Wood. We reckon this particular celeb is slightly more believable as a genuine “ordinary” Mum who might actually do her own shopping at ASDA from time-to-time. Either way, she seems to be having a good time making misshapen loaves of bread to sell to unsuspecting pensioners, so good luck to her we say!

Taking a “power in numbers” type approach to celebrity endorsements is upmarket supermarket and general department store, Marks & Spencer. Not content to settle for just one or even two celebs, Marks & Sparks most recent ad campaign sees a veritable feast of familiar faces frolicking around in Marks n Sparks clothes (and presumably in Marks & Sparks undies, we can’t be sure). Myleene Klass, Twiggy and Elizabeth Jagger are just a few of the names to appear in the knicker store’s most recent tele ads. With ailing fortunes in previous years, this is one brand that clearly thinks forking out for celebrity pay packets is worth it.

But it’s not just supermarkets and department stores getting in on the celeb action of course, almost any product you can think of will have used a famous face to endorse a particular brand at one time or another. Not surprising when we’re talking about cosmetic products; after all, we all want to look as good as the shiny airbrushed celebs we see in magazines and on the silver screen, don’t we? But things get a little more unusual when we’re talking about the not-so-glamorous world of personal loans. Yep, these days even the financial world wants to get in on the celebrity action and put a famous face to its products. The most well-known example is probably Carol Vorderman and her advertisements for a secured loan company. The link isn’t too tenuous, after all Carol is known for her mathematical nouse, but, in this climate of spiralling personal debts, should a celeb really be encouraging viewers to borrow more? We doubt Carol herself is in a position to need to borrow any money and so probably hasn’t “tried and tested” the product herself.  

Before we get too judgemental though, it’s worth remembering that all of these celebs are encouraging us to spend our money. And before we go too shopping crazy trying to emulate our celebs, or follow their advice, it’s also worth remembering that they have a lot more cash to splash than most of the rest of us! Perhaps it’s best to pick and choose which celebs to copy. After all, Coleen McLoughlin is currently the face of budget clothing brand George at ASDA (yep, another one getting in on the Associated Dairies action) and that’s one look nearly all of us can afford to emulate. Trouble is, we can’t necessarily afford the Jimmy Choo shoes and Prada handbag to go with the George top. Ah well, maybe one day…

And on that note, get playing online bingo today for your chance to win a big bingo jackpot – who knows, you could be shopping like a star in no time! Come back soon for more Mecca Bingo Celebrity chat and play bingo online today for your chance to win big – Good Luck!