Effect of celebrity role models in advertising

A prime example of a celebrity role model and their ideologies is George Clooney, who is somewhat widely known for supporting humanitarian efforts in the country of Sudan, as well as donating large amounts of his own money towards causes of a similar fashion. Of note is the profits from a Nespresso advert that went towards a satellite program to "keep an eye" on the sudanese dictator of the time Omar al-Bashir. The advert (seen above) depicts Clooney as a high-class man, consuming a high-class product. Nespresso used Clooney's personality and brand to lend his connotations to their product, as well as his ethics no doubt helping perception of their brand. Nespresso has suffered in the past due to sustainability concerns, as well as the fact they are owned by Nestle (which has a wide variety of its won controversies). Clooney was brought in to 'clean up' the brand, with his associations with activism. This and other associations with Clooney are used to influence audiences, giving the advert an appeal of a 'rich, luxurious lifestyle', along with perhaps the idea that you are supporting something good if you buy the product, because of who Clooney is.

There have been numerous Nespresso adverts featuring Clooney over the years, having turned him into the face of their brand, including a series that poked fun at the actor being overlooked by women for the coffee, and a series depicting him as a heroic knight on a quest for coffee. The ideals of altruism, luxury and success at at the forefront of these Nespresso adverts, all because of Clooney. The effect of all this is consumer confidence in the product and ultimately more purchases.

Under the 4C's model, these adverts are targeted at the Aspirer archetype, with the impression of luxury and celebrity appeal. In this case Clooney is what they may aspire to be like, a humanitarian in the lap of luxury.