Why celebrity ads do not perform better

Advertising analytics firm Ace Metrix has studied and analysed 2600 TVC´s from 2010 and the conclusion is that celebrity ads do not perform any better than non-celebrity ads and in some cases they perform much worse.

I think the reason for this is that using a celebrity might be your ONLY strategy. If the famous face is going to attract customers by being famous you are using a lazy shortcut, that will not lead anywhere. Great ads are built on insights on the customer and her life, feelings, thoughts, fears and aspirations. Without them you are lost, you are building a house on mud, and that house will not last for long.

Some brands use celebs in a smart way, matching the person with the brand and the customer soul, but many times the marketer is trying to buy success instead of earning it. By opening the wallet and put a superstar in the TVC they hope the fame will rub off.

But.... the new research is a warning. Be smart. Just as you can´t buy love by opening the champagne, you can´t fool people into loving your brand by dancing with the stars. The customer is the STAR.