Are Celebrity Ads Losing Their Shine?
Some big brands are walking away from celebrity-led advertising while others double down. The truth is that star power still works — but only when the celebrity genuinely fits the brand and adds meaning, rather than just renting you their audience for a moment.
A playbook under pressure
Celebrity endorsement is one of advertising's oldest moves, and 2026 is testing it hard. On one side, brands have walked away from famous faces in favour of distinctive characters and 'emotional' platforms. On the other, provocative celebrity campaigns have gone viral for all the wrong reasons, drawing backlash rather than love.
So is star power finished? Not quite. But the easy version of it — bolt a famous face onto a product and hope some glamour rubs off — is clearly running out of road.
When celebrity still works
The endorsements that pay back share a pattern: genuine fit. The celebrity has a real, credible connection to the product, embodies something the brand wants to stand for, and brings meaning rather than just reach. When the match is right, a famous face can accelerate fame and lend instant credibility.
It also helps when the celebrity becomes a long-term, recognisable part of the brand — closer to a distinctive asset than a one-off rental. Fleeting, transactional deals rarely build anything that lasts.
When it backfires
The failures share a pattern too. The fit is thin, so viewers remember the star but not the brand — the classic 'vampire effect', where the celebrity sucks up all the attention. Or the campaign chases shock value, wins a news cycle, and leaves the brand associated with controversy rather than the product.
There's also concentration risk: tie your brand tightly to one person and you inherit their reputation, good and bad. Characters and distinctive assets carry none of that liability.
Our take: the question to ask before signing a celebrity isn't 'how famous are they?' but 'what does this person mean, and does it transfer to us?' If you can't answer the second part, you're buying reach you'll forget — and so will your customers.
Quick FAQ
Do celebrity endorsements still work?
Yes, but conditionally. They work when the celebrity genuinely fits the brand, adds meaning and credibility, and ideally becomes a lasting part of the brand - not when they're bolted on for reach alone.
What is the 'vampire effect'?
When a celebrity (or any attention-grabbing device) is so dominant that viewers remember the star but forget which brand they were advertising.
What's the risk of celebrity marketing?
Concentration risk: your brand inherits the person's reputation, good or bad. Distinctive characters and brand assets carry no such liability.
The right question before you hire a celebrity isn't 'how famous are they?' — it's 'what do they mean, and does that meaning transfer to my brand?' If you can't answer the second part, you're renting attention you'll forget. A distinctive character you own will usually out-perform a famous face you borrow. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Takeaway: celebrity marketing works on fit, not fame. If the star doesn't genuinely mean something your brand wants to own, you're buying forgettable reach.
If you had the budget for one famous face, would anyone remember it was your brand they were selling?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Marketing Minute analysis.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
