Why Natural Celebrity Endorsement Sells [4 Examples]
Every emerging brand’s dream is to wake up and see that Vogue or Daily Mail has covered a story about an A-list actress seen wearing their signature piece on a date or to an event.
The celebrity skeptics out there may ask, “But why?”
Because natural celebrity endorsement sells.
We live in a world where consumers idolize celebrities and are captivated by their personal choices, from the clothing they choose to wear to the gym to the leashes they use to walk their dogs.
Even the 1% of our population who have the funds to purchase whatever they’d like still don’t have what celebrities have: access. Celebrities are invited to exclusive launch parties to gain access to pre-released product, and they can often still purchase products when they are advertised to consumers as being sold out.
When celebrities are shown wearing these brands and products in media coverage, it generates a highly intriguing sense of curiosity about that brand and can spark a new trend.
Here are four brand examples that prove that natural celebrity endorsement really does sell:
1. Everlane
Much of Everlane’s success is due to the brand’s accessible yet aspirational product line. Its Petra leather tote retails for $400, but the brand built up more than 7,500 pre-orders in advance of its launch.
How? Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba and Olivia Munn were all photographed by the paparazzi carrying the bag, turning this inconspicuous leather tote into a celebrity statement.
2. Christian Louboutin
The brand saw a drastic surge in sales in the early to mid 2000s. The brand has largely refrained from engaging in paid media efforts to attract and retain its customers, with most of its growth coming organically.
Two of the biggest reasons for those surging sales? Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie Bradshaw, frequently wore Christian Louboutins on Sex and the City, and early celebrity adopters Naomi Campbell, Nicole Kidman and Kate Bosworth were photographed wearing Christian Louboutin while on the red carpet, on dates and at sponsored events.

3. Cartier
In 2016, after Kylie Jenner Snapped that she’s been “stuck” in one of her Cartier bracelets for four years, the bracelet became the most searched jewelry item on Google. At roughly 353,000 searches a month, the bracelet blew other searches out of the water, with Tiffany’s engagement rings coming in as a far second with roughly 83,000 searches a month.
For more than a year, Kylie didn’t appear in a social post without at least one Cartier Love Bracelet, and sometimes she was seen wearing as many as six.

4. Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen saw a 27% sales increase in the year after Kate Middleton chose the designer for her wedding gown. Much of the brand’s increased sales were in the bridal design and cocktail dress categories, with its dresses also being worn by Kate Middleton at the Queen’s birthday and a series of well-publicized parades in London.

Want to Keep Reading?
What happens when a celebrity represents a brand and messes up on the job, caught in a moment when the brand would not want to be associated? Is it more damaging for the celebrity or the brand? Read more to find out >
Originally published at blog.spotted.us on August 28, 2017.
