Advertising for the 200 billion Dollar business of luxury consumer goods is swarming with well-known personalities from Hollywood, television and sports and even politics as Mikhail Gorbachev most recent ad proofs. The opinions, whether they are really worth time and effort, differ greatly. We are of the opinion that it does not pay, even though some pollsters think they have seen signs that celebrities cause real growth in sales.

We don’t think that the question whether or not true luxury brands need celebrities even arises, because true luxury brands offer that much own personality that they do not need this type of assistance.

Surely, John F. Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn have contributed to making Tods shoes famous, but back then, the brand Tods by Diego Della Valle was not a global brand yet. It was just a simple name. Most likely, the smart and vain Italian didn’t even pay for the copyrights. And when Mikhail Gorbachev makes an appearance in ads by Louis Vuitton in order to generate money for his cause, then I am sure he profits more than his patrons.

The knowledge society knows that celebrities are paid to make statements for specific brands. The enlightened consumer doesn’t really pay much attention to ‘bought’ opinions.

If you possess a true brand that consolidates the 7-elements origin, history, profile, positioning, image, awareness and protection you can do without the sales support from celebrities, because they are more likely to harm a brand than to do any good. ‘Bought truths’ are only half truths.

True publicity, whether in TV spots, ads or in the editorial section of glossy magazines, without content and credible messages do not further the cause of the brand in the long run. Successful brands have to grow from within. The products which stand for their brand have to make up the core of the message.

He, who reasons that celebrities achieve high values in attention should also contemplate that attention and awareness alone do not achieve a single Euro in turnover.

We advise against purchasing celebrities in the hope of winning over customers.