Brands often look to celebrities and mascots of all stripes to generate buzz and tap into pop culture trends. But which industries rely more heavily on these tactics? Celebrity endorsements can provide the necessary appeal to distinguish one brand from another in industries where there’s little differentiation in product or service features among competitors.
Using E-Score Celebrity and E-Score Character/Brand Mascot, we take a closer look at three industries that regularly lean on celebrity endorsers and/or mascots as attention-grabbing elements that can help in a competitive advertising marketplace, offering a unique and memorable weapon in brand communication.
CATEGORY: INSURANCE
Insurance companies have regularly implemented the strategy of using both celebrities and brand mascots in their marketing with the approach proving effective in communicating insurance concepts in a simpler and more approachable manner.
Here’s a look at 12 insurance Brand Mascots ranked by strength of consumer affinity (Net Appeal among P 18-49):
Jake from State Farm (vs. Avg): Approachable (+14), Believable (+11), Sincere (+10), Articulate (+8), Intelligent (+6)
- Jake from State Farm: Easily one of State Farm’s most recognizable and liked characters – scores above average for Awareness to go along with a +9 Net Appeal score. Jake is known for his iconic red polo shirt and khakis, often portrayed as a friendly and helpful insurance agent. State Farm has cleverly expanded the character’s presence into the metaverse by introducing an interactive avatar in popular video games Roblox and NBA 2K23.
Insurance companies also tend to feature big name celebrities with high levels of influence. Here are 5 strong Celebrity Endorsers used by insurance companies who outperform the Spokesperson Category Average across three key metrics (among P 18-49): level of recognition, endorsement influence, and fan passion.
Shaquille O’Neal (vs. Avg): Funny (+17), Cool (+13), Good Energy (+12), Inspirational (+11), Distinctive Voice (+11), Influential (+9), Approachable (+8), Unique (+7), Real-Authentic (+6)
- To broaden their awareness and appeal, The General enlisted the help of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal as he has become a force in the world of celebrity endorsement, repping a huge portfolio of brands such as Icy Hot, Gold Bond, Papa John’s Pizza, and many more. These brands in addition to The General are drawn to Shaq’s strong endorser profile, he outperforms the Spokesperson Average by double-digits for Awareness (+33), Endorsement Score (+37), and Fan Score (+18).
CATEGORY: TELECOM
Telecom companies often rank among the biggest advertising spenders annually and celebrities are a major factor in both cost and imagery as there is little differentiation of what the products/services can offer.
Here’s a look at 20 Celebrity Endorsers featured in Telecom advertisements and their performance against the Spokesperson Category Average across three key metrics (among P 18-49): level of recognition, endorsement influence, and fan passion. Scores in green represent an above average score.
Star Power: Bradley Cooper (vs. Avg): Awareness (+16), Endorsement Score (+26), Fan Score (+23), Attractive (+15), Charming (+13), Funny (+12)
Fan Favorites (vs. Avg): Zach Braff: Fan Score (+6), Funny (+31) , Donald Faison: Fan Score (+18), Funny (+33)
- Celebrity Power Play: T-Mobile does a great job using a mix of celebrities to help drive the brand’s messaging. They use big names like Bradley Cooper for Super Bowl advertising, tugged on the nostalgic heartstrings of fans of sitcom Scrubs by featuring Zach Braff and Donald Faison, and went with an emerging star in Ben Barnes from Netflix’s Shadow & Bone for their latest national campaign.
Lily from AT&T (vs. Avg): Awareness (+7), Net Appeal: Like A Lot – Dislike A Lot (+25), Attractive (+32), Approachable (+13), Sincere (+10)
Friendly Face: AT&T is the one Telecom service currently using a brand mascot, Lily, to create a memorable and engaging brand experience. The Lily character has been a consistent presence in AT&T advertising since 2014, which has helped build consumer familiarity, increased relatability using humor and wit, and showcasing the character’s versatility.
CATEGORY: ALCOHOL
The alcohol industry has become a highly sought-after realm for celebrities, serving not only as brand ambassadors but also as entrepreneurial innovators. Particularly in the spirits sector, celebrities go beyond mere endorsement and actively contribute as founders, involving themselves in various operational aspects such as product development, promotion, strategy, and consumer engagement.
Here’s a look at 20 celebrities who have been featured in alcohol advertisements and how they perform against the Spokesperson Category Average across three key metrics (among P 21-49): level of recognition, endorsement influence, and fan passion. Scores in green represent an above average score.
Dwayne Johnson (vs. Avg): Awareness (+52), Endorsement Score (+45), Fan Score (+41), Cool (+14), Exciting (+14), Inspirational (+12), Influential (+11), Charming (+10)
Taking Celebrity Tequila to New Heights: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson continues to achieve remarkable success with his tequila brand, Teremana Tequila, which reached an impressive milestone in 2020: selling 1 million cases annually, a feat typically accomplished by well-established brands. Johnson has touted quality, sustainability in their operations, and authenticity (he’s very involved in the promotion of the drink through his socials) to engage and grow the consumer base.
Brand mascots are featured prominently and have been effective in advertising for alcohol brands for decades. With E-Score Character/Brand Mascot tracking going back more than 17 years, we’re able to look at 5 alcohol brand mascots from the past that have resonated with consumers (Net Appeal among P 21-49):
Bud Knight (vs. Avg): Exciting (+25), Cool (+19), Brave (+18), Funny (+9), Unique (+7), Inspirational (+7), Intriguing (+5)
- Bud Light is trying to regain footing after the Dylan Mulvaney fallout, recently teasing the return of Bud Knight. The Bud Knight character enjoyed a positive commercial run from 2017-2019 and posted a +10 Net Appeal score in a test back in February 2018. Reactions to the teaser return have been mixed on social media, but we’ll continue to monitor and update the mascot in E-Score Character/Brand Mascot once a full appearance has been made.
Celebrities and Mascots will continue to play vital roles in brand communication, helping brands generate buzz and differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. Utilizing tools like E-Score Celebrity and E-Score Character/Brand Mascot provides valuable insights into three industries that adeptly embrace celebrity endorsers and mascots as impactful instruments, crafting an exceptional and unforgettable brand experience for consumers.
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