1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,640 What do Kendall Jenner, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Jessica 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,360 Simpson all have in common? They aren't singers. 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:09,360 They aren't actors. They're not all models, but they 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,640 were all celebrity ambassadors for one iconic brand, Proactive. 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,520 Proactive was the skin care brand for tweens and teens 6 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,000 through the 2000s and early 20 tens. 7 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,840 It's three-step system promised to clear acne and help consumers 8 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,440 overcome any skin related insecurities. 9 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,920 But the brand wasn't legendary for its products. 10 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,600 Rather, it was legendary for its marketing. 11 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:36,520 Over the years, Proactiv managed to snag many a list celebrities 12 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,720 to represent the brand. These campaigns stuck to a clear 13 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,160 formula. The ambassador would first share 14 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:45,600 their personal experiences with acne before raving about 15 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,880 Proactiv's products. Then an opportunity to buy 16 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,440 Proactiv's three-step system at a discounted price of 1995 would 17 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,440 pop up. These ads were essentially 18 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,360 infomercials, but they worked. In 2015, the skin care brand 19 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,920 reportedly hit $1 billion in sales, with much of that success 20 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,280 credited to its celebrity ambassadors. 21 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,720 While we may look back fondly on the insanity that was 22 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,280 Proactive's ads, the industry has changed significantly since 23 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,080 then. Replicating Proactive's 24 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:18,280 infomercial LED approach wouldn't exactly land in 2026. 25 00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:21,680 In a pop culture landscape where influencers and user generated 26 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,120 content reigned supreme, this approach feels like a bygone 27 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,760 era. Yet many brands continue to 28 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,920 splurge on celebrity ambassadors, so we wanted to 29 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,400 explore why. In this episode, we discussed 30 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,800 the perceived value of celebrity endorsements, how brands have 31 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,680 had to adapt the strategy to the social media era, and attempt to 32 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,480 answer the question, does Gen. Z even respond to celebrity 33 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,240 endorsements? Or is this a marketing strategy 34 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,720 better left in the past? From Centennial World, this is 35 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,640 Infinite Scroll, a podcast about Internet culture, the creator 36 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,240 economy, and how social media is shaping Gen. 37 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,680 Z Welcome back to Infinite Scroll everyone, and thank you 38 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:08,600 so much to our sponsor for today, Britta, our favorites. 39 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,360 You already know Britta has been keeping us hydrated for the past 40 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,600 year. Drinking fresh filtered water 41 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,400 every day has become an essential part of my routine 42 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,720 since then and one of the easiest ways to look after 43 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,680 myself. When you spend as much time 44 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,040 online as I do, sometimes you fall into comparison traps and 45 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,640 completely spin out. In those moments, it can be easy 46 00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:33,160 to forget what is actually important, and Britta gets that. 47 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:37,120 This year, they're embracing all things self-care alongside a new 48 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,760 brand ambassador, Gen. Z icon Millie Bobby Brown. 49 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,800 Staying hydrated with Britta's filtered water is a simple habit 50 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,600 that can keep us balanced. And when we're feeling clear 51 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,240 minded, calm and confident, we can actually own our thing by 52 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,040 doing what's right for us. Thank you to Britta for 53 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,240 sponsoring this episode and for the reminder that you should 54 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:03,720 filter your water, not yourself. Today, it feels like almost 55 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,800 every A Lister is fronting a brand, whether it's for a 56 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,000 fashion house, a beauty company, or a luxury perfume. 57 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,040 We have become accustomed to seeing these all too familiar 58 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,520 faces on billboards or in commercials. 59 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:18,960 To some, this may be an indication of capitalism gone 60 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,000 wild. To others, maybe those in 61 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,160 advertising, it may be an interesting brand exercise or 62 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,560 case study. But to the fangirls, it's just 63 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,360 another way for their favorite celebrities to build cultural 64 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,400 and financial capital. We saw this in 2021, for 65 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,760 instance, with BTS. The K Pop Collective reportedly 66 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,160 made between 9:00 and $10 million with the launch of 67 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,120 McDonald's BTS meal. The collaboration sparked a 68 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,480 worldwide frenzy, with some stores even forced to shut down 69 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,080 due to demand. And that's just one example. 70 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,720 Celebrity endorsements are an extremely common practice and a 71 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:53,960 significant financial investment. 72 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,200 And in a world where corporations are gaining 73 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,800 influence and power, it's valuable to discuss their 74 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,120 decision making and marketing strategies. 75 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:03,640 But first, we have to go back to basics. 76 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,400 There is, of course, a difference between celebrity 77 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,080 endorsements and ambassadorships, According to an 78 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,600 academic journal article by Karen Page, Manish Ganwar and 79 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,840 Rajdeep Gruul, the authors describe a celebrity endorsement 80 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,200 as quote a form of advertising strategy in which a famous or 81 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:23,000 well known person uses her or his social status to promote a 82 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,440 good service or idea. With this definition, a 83 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,520 celebrity ambassadorship is a type of. 84 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,440 This is when a public figure is hired to represent and embody a 85 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,040 brand's values to increase awareness and sales. 86 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,320 Often this is a longer term partnership designed to transfer 87 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,200 the celebrities positive association and credibility to 88 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,040 the general public. For the sake of this episode, we 89 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,280 will use the terms celebrity endorsement and ambassadorship 90 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:48,480 interchangeably. It should be noted that this 91 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:50,360 strategy is actually nothing new. 92 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,320 Notable figures have attached themselves to brands and vice 93 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,240 versa for centuries. From our research, one of the 94 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,760 earliest examples of celebrity ambassadorship dates back to the 95 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,640 18th century, when a Potter slash entrepreneur named Josiah 96 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,880 Wedgwood used endorsements from the British royal family to 97 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,440 promote his dishware. Another example was British 98 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,920 socialite and stage actress Lily Langtry. 99 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,760 In 1882, Lily became the first woman to be compensated for 100 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,640 appearing in pair soap advertisements, essentially 101 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,720 inventing the celebrity ambassadorship central to 102 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,320 marketing today. So if these partnerships have 103 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,520 been around for this long, celebrity endorsements must be. 104 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,960 But why and how? We will discuss this throughout 105 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,760 the episode and share some theories about youth audiences 106 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:37,080 specifically, but it is first helpful to look at some existing 107 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,800 models and studies as a basis. One example is the Source 108 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,320 Credibility model developed by academics at Yale University. 109 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,240 This model explores what makes communication effective, 110 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,760 hypothesizing that a message's persuasiveness is influenced by 111 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,800 the credibility of its source. You can easily apply this to the 112 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,720 world of celebrity endorsements. We acknowledge that a celebrity 113 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,920 ambassadorship should not realistically be considered 114 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,120 automatically credible by the masses. 115 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,040 In general, when a celebrity promotes a product, they may not 116 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,680 have the expertise or knowledge to definitively say 1 product is 117 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,280 better than the other. Justin Bieber as a spokesperson 118 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:13,960 for Proactive in 2010 is a case in point. 119 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,800 What would a 16 year old boy know about the skin care 120 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:19,200 industry? Nevertheless, his fans saw him 121 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,520 as a credible source because of his celebrity. 122 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,560 The reporting from this time makes that clear. 123 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,200 According to a 2011 Salon piece, Proactive's total revenue was 124 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,320 approximate $1.5 billion that year. 125 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,440 Granted, that's not entirely because of Justin Bieber, but he 126 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,240 definitely contributed to the brand's awareness and sales. 127 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,200 Ultimately, the credibility that someone like Justin Bieber has 128 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,920 is twofold. First, it partly stems from the 129 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,600 parasocial relationship that many of us build with a public 130 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:46,840 figure. We inherently trust them, but it 131 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:49,240 also comes from the way we view celebrities. 132 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,680 Capitalism and neoliberalism have pushed us to believe that 133 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,360 fame, money, and even beauty are the keys to contentment. 134 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,080 As a result, we worship these A listers. 135 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,480 We see them as all knowing, credible and trustworthy sources 136 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,760 because they achieved what most of us cannot as academics. 137 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,520 Noella Michael Thomas, Zoego Ramsey and Ian Michael explain 138 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,520 quote Celebrities don't have brand specific knowledge, but 139 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,800 they are perceived as such because of their demigod status. 140 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,720 Of course, whether that's a good or a bad thing is a different 141 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:20,760 question. Picking up on the beauty factor 142 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,160 brings us to another interesting explanation. 143 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,520 Academic work has argued that physically attractive 144 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,720 celebrities enhance positive attitudes towards celebrity 145 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,400 endorsed advertisements. This feeds into that what is 146 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,320 beautiful is good bias that was proposed back in the 1970s. 147 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,160 Later work expanded on this phenomenon, with the source 148 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,200 attractiveness model being one example. 149 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,880 To put it simply, a communicator's persuasive power 150 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,520 is enhanced by their attractiveness under this model. 151 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,360 It should be noted that this kind of attractiveness goes 152 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,280 beyond physical beauty and refers to how appealing or 153 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,720 relatable the sources to the target audience. 154 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,280 But to say that credibility and attractiveness are everything 155 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,160 would or simplify this phenomenon. 156 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,640 The value of a celebrity endorsement can also be 157 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,440 determined by what has come to be known as the matchup 158 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,800 hypothesis, the idea that there should be a natural fit between 159 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,560 the brand, the celebrity endorser, and the audience. 160 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:12,960 The audience factor is always tricky, though. 161 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,320 While a brand may have a target market or an ideal consumer, 162 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,480 there may be many competing factors to consider, and one of 163 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,640 the most significant is culture. Studies have shown that some 164 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:24,920 cultural backgrounds are more receptive to celebrity 165 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,080 endorsements than others. One paper exploring this concept 166 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,240 uses the Power Distance belief framework, which the authors 167 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,320 describe as quote the degree of power disparity that people in a 168 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,760 culture expect and accept. Given that celebrities occupy a 169 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,200 higher social status and wield significant cultural power, the 170 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,000 authors argue that a person's willingness to accept celebrity 171 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,560 endorsements can be context dependent. 172 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:48,560 This plays out differently across the world. 173 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:50,800 Throughout the paper, the authors mention examples of 174 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,320 countries that may be more willing to embrace this kind of 175 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,400 marketing, such as South Korea and India, which both have their 176 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,240 own celebrity ecosystem in K pop and Bollywood. 177 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,440 But where there is a cultural divide, there might also be a 178 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,000 generational one. Every marketing publication and 179 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,200 TikTok trend forecaster seems to have a take on Gen. 180 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,560 Z, whether it's why this demographic loves brain rot or 181 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:14,080 how they differ from every generation that came before 182 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,200 them. Within this discourse, one topic 183 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,120 that comes up here and there is how Gen. 184 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,920 Z feels about celebrity marketing and endorsements. 185 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,600 More often than not, the conversation skews towards 186 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,520 influencers rather than mainstream celebrities, which is 187 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,040 exactly why we wanted to to focus on the latter. 188 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,680 Within this discourse, there seems to be a genuine debate 189 00:09:31,680 --> 00:09:33,880 around how Gen. Z responds to celebrity 190 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,480 endorsement. 1 central question pops up, is there still a place 191 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,200 for the classic celebrity ambassadorship in the age of the 192 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:42,680 creator? Some experts say no, and they 193 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:46,080 make a pretty convincing case. There are three key points worth 194 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,360 discussing here. The rise of UGC, user generated 195 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:53,000 content, marketing fatigue and the death of the PR machine. 196 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,560 Let's begin with how social media and the creator economy 197 00:09:55,560 --> 00:09:57,640 have fundamentally changed the marketing lens. 198 00:09:57,720 --> 00:09:59,760 Escape. We have covered this in depth in 199 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,600 past episodes, so it's not worth revisiting in its entirety. 200 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,560 The short version is this Social media has democratized virality, 201 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,840 and in doing so, it is also democratized endorsements. 202 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:14,280 Audiences no longer exclusively receive recommendations from 203 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,640 stars and experts, they get them from regular people who often 204 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:19,440 feel more relatable and accessible. 205 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,440 The rise of UGC has enabled the average person to share their 206 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,000 recommendations with the masses and has opened an entirely new 207 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,160 marketplace of opinion and influence. 208 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,680 Some data reflects what the shift means for celebrity 209 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:33,200 endorsements specifically. A headline from The Economic 210 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:38,200 Times puts it simply, celebrity endorsements fall 22% in 2025 as 211 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:42,080 brands shift to influencers. The next factor we mentioned is 212 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:43,440 marketing fatigue. Gen. 213 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,880 Z has grown up in arguably the most oversaturated marketing 214 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,000 environment in history, bombarded by advertising across 215 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:53,760 every content Ave. whether it's TV, streaming, or social media. 216 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:55,920 This has definitely taken its toll. 217 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,240 We see this clearly in viral trends like going analog, which 218 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,360 we discussed at the beginning of the year here. 219 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,120 Increasing numbers of young people are hoping to step back 220 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,320 from digital life, with many arguing that online spaces have 221 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,520 become exhausting and genuinely harmful for mental health. 222 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,680 At the same time, though, Jen said has become so accustomed to 223 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:17,400 this environment that they have also become very good at tuning 224 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,520 it out. Even when they don't fully go 225 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:22,440 analog, they can essentially ignore what they don't want to 226 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:24,960 see, and often that's branded content. 227 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:28,440 Pulling from Youth Insights I Hate Ads report from last year, 228 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,360 72% of Gen. Z feel they are exposed to 229 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,680 advertising very often or almost constantly. 230 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:39,760 In response, 74% say they skip ads and 53% say they ignore them 231 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:41,520 entirely. These high rates of 232 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,560 disengagement have ultimately contributed to the rise of rage 233 00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:48,280 bait and click bait marketing as brands and creators push harder 234 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,080 and harder to cut through. And lastly, there is the PR 235 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:52,840 machine. Digital natives like Gen. 236 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:54,840 Z and Gen. Alpha are well aware of how 237 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:58,000 marketing works thanks to platforms like TikTok beginning 238 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,800 regular people and pulling back the curtain on how this content 239 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,000 is made. TikTok has made it harder for 240 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,160 corporate feeling endorsements to land authentically because 241 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,360 audience know what they can see behind the scenes, and arguably, 242 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,440 that's more interesting. In Youth Insights report, only 243 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,400 16% of Gen. Zed disagreed with the statement 244 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,200 that ads are boring, an indication that traditional 245 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,920 advertising formats are struggling to stand out amid the 246 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,600 varied content Gen. Zed consumes every day. 247 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,960 It is worth noting though, that this media savviness does have 248 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,160 its limits. The same generation that prides 249 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,440 itself on seeing through the PR machine can also be quick to 250 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,720 assume that everything is manufactured or inauthentic, 251 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:37,960 sometimes to the point of conspiracy. 252 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:42,440 So between the rise of UGC, the rise of marketing fatigue, and a 253 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,320 generation that has grown up knowing exactly how the sausage 254 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,600 is made, there is a case that celebrity endorsements have lost 255 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:50,680 their interest among young audiences. 256 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:52,800 But there is a flip side. Gen. 257 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:56,880 Z is extremely invested in pop culture and celebrity, and a big 258 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,680 part of that is because they are the demographic currently 259 00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:01,880 driving culture. Many of the most influential 260 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:05,080 celebrities right now are the ones selling out stadiums and 261 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,760 starring in some of the most watched films and shows of the 262 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:09,560 moment. While these figures remain 263 00:13:09,560 --> 00:13:12,280 aspirational, they are also peers for Gen. 264 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,920 Z consumers, or something close to it. 265 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,880 These celebrities have grown up in the same time as them, often 266 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:19,760 sharing the same reference points in humor. 267 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,320 It makes sense that there would be a natural affinity between 268 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,000 these A listers and their Gen. Z audiences. 269 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,920 This is only intensified by the fact that so many in this 270 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:31,120 generation grew up with social media and with parasocial 271 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,160 relationships as a result. Take a moment to think about how 272 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:36,760 youth audiences treat a list celebrities. 273 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,200 Ever since COVID-19, what might once have been relegated to 274 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,600 specific fandoms has become standard behavior like dressing 275 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,640 up to go to the cinema or participating in the so-called 276 00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:49,440 Ticketmaster War when trying to get concert tickets. 277 00:13:49,560 --> 00:13:51,800 We also see this in language used online. 278 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,960 Terms like the Kia Asylum and reheating nachos are phrases 279 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,040 that originated on Stan and black Twitter and have now 280 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,760 crossed over into everyday Internet vernacular. 281 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,560 So with parasocial relationships and fandom culture going 282 00:14:04,560 --> 00:14:08,520 mainstream, Jen said, is in theory open to and appreciative 283 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:11,720 of celebrity ambassadorships and endorsements, especially when it 284 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,760 involves their fave. If anything, their investment in 285 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,640 these figures creates a particular kind of receptiveness 286 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,120 that the negative argument underestimates. 287 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,680 We found a similar sentiment in some anecdotes our listener sent 288 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,800 in ahead of this episode. We set up a Google form and gave 289 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,680 participants an opportunity to answer questions on celebrity 290 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,880 endorsements, specifically how they feel about them and whether 291 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:34,800 they find them memorable or trustworthy. 292 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:37,600 It is worth noting upfront that our sample size is not 293 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,080 generalized, but we thought it would be a useful way to 294 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,440 contextualize and build on our discussion. 295 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,320 When asked whether a celebrity endorsement has ever influenced 296 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,520 their purchasing behavior, over 60% said they never bought a 297 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,720 product off the back of one, but it did peak their interest. 298 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,520 Comparatively, 15% said they had gone on to purchase a product 299 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:59,200 and 21% said a celebrity endorsement had never influenced 300 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,760 them in any way. What is interesting here is that 301 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:04,480 the majority response speaks to something that will keep coming 302 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,080 up through this episode. Celebrity endorsements may not 303 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:10,640 be closing sales the way they once did, but they can still get 304 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,200 people's attention. That was reflected in our 305 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:15,200 survey, too. Looking at famous figures 306 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,960 specifically, over half the respondents categorized 307 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,040 celebrity endorsements as a memorable form of marketing, 308 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,400 compared to 15% who said the same about influencer 309 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,520 endorsements. Approximately 2/3 of 310 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,280 participants said UGC was also memorable, indicating the 311 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,520 continued power of that kind of content. 312 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,960 As for what makes a celebrity endorsement memorable, a theme 313 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,040 came up repeatedly, and that was humor. 314 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:41,240 One participant, Kaylin, told us she specifically remembered 315 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,240 Michael Cera's collaboration with Sarah V because it was, 316 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,280 quote, so funny and clever. The skin care brand collaborated 317 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,200 with the actor on an iconic campaign two years ago, with 318 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:52,840 Michael Cera joking that he was personally behind the brand 319 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:56,560 given, well, his last name. Quote I was already a Cera VE 320 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,400 user, but the campaign made me engage with the brand more than 321 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,320 before, she tells us. Another example worth mentioning 322 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,640 is Sabrina Carpenter's ambassadorship with Redkin. 323 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,200 In 2024, Sabrina became the hair care brand's first global 324 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,600 ambassador, fronting the Acidic Bonding Concentrate collection. 325 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,840 This was a perfect matchup at the time because Sabrina had 326 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,880 become completely synonymous with her bouncy blonde hair and 327 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,680 perfect curtain bangs. What really made it land was the 328 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,840 content and creative approach. With songs like Nonsense and 329 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:27,640 Taste and her discography, It is no secret that Sabrina loves in 330 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,240 innuendo. The campaign leaned directly 331 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,200 into that. The first round of content 332 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,120 centered around Sabrina telling audiences that everyone quote 333 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:37,800 deserves a better bang, referring to her hair. 334 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,160 Of course, Redkin doubled down on this a year later with their 335 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,720 Leave It In Film continuing the tone in the original campaign. 336 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,960 Social media users responded favorably, appreciating that the 337 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,000 partnership felt true to her brand rather than like a paid 338 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,280 placement. Some were critical feeling like 339 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,520 the innuendo LED approach cater to the male gaze, which is a 340 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:58,840 critique that is often leveled against Sabrina. 341 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,600 Aside from the humor, several participants noted that 342 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,760 longevity makes a celebrity partnership particularly 343 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:08,380 memorable. 1 listener Madison pointed to Ben Affleck's Dunkin' 344 00:17:08,380 --> 00:17:10,839 Donuts commercial, which aired during the Super Bowl. 345 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,960 Another Shelby pointed to what we are calling the Beats 346 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:17,839 epidemic within the 2000s and twenty 10s Music videos, as she 347 00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:20,839 writes, quote the era of the Beats headphones in every music 348 00:17:20,839 --> 00:17:23,920 video comes to mind. It was like a guaranteed hit on 349 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,960 a music video bingo card. I have been a Lady Gaga stand 350 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:30,600 for like 15 years and I remember needing the Heartbeats by Lady 351 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:34,080 Gaga headphones by Beats by Dre. Now, all of these are pretty 352 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,920 positive associations with these partnerships, but another factor 353 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,400 that makes celebrity endorsements memorable is 354 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,840 obviously when they go wrong. Arguably the most famous 355 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,640 example, and one that came up in our survey as noted by Madison, 356 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:50,720 is Kendall Jenner's 2017 Pepsi commercial. 357 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,600 We are probably all familiar with this one, but in case you 358 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,840 forgot, in the ad, Kendall stepped out of a photo shoot to 359 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:00,240 join a protest before handing a police officer a can of Pepsi. 360 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,520 And then everything just seemed fine. 361 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,960 Users claimed that Kendall and the company were trivializing 362 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:11,200 protest moments, particularly BLM, where Pepsi quickly pulled 363 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:12,920 the ad. The fact that we're still 364 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,920 talking about this ad almost 10 years later is a case in point 365 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,000 in saying that leaving any kind of impression has become 366 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:21,760 increasingly difficult for brands. 367 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,680 As we have briefly touched on earlier, we put it down to the 368 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,120 oversaturation of the digital landscape, but it's also because 369 00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:31,120 trust in marketing in general is pretty abysmal. 370 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,960 Referencing Youth Insights I Hate Ads report again, 371 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:37,800 traditional advertising ranked 5th in terms of trustworthiness, 372 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:42,040 with only 21% describing it as both effective and trustworthy. 373 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:44,880 Some of the categories ranked above it were recommendations 374 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,320 from friends and peers, Youtubers and podcasters, media 375 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,960 outlets and online commentators. We found something similar with 376 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,760 our own survey results. We asked respondents to rank 377 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:58,000 their trust in different types of promotion on A5 point scale, 378 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:01,600 and regular consumers came out on top, with almost 2/3 of 379 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,440 participants ranking them in the top 2 categories. 380 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,680 Meanwhile, trust in celebrities and influencers was notably 381 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,360 lower. Even though influencers are 382 00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:11,560 perceived as somewhat untrustworthy among our 383 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:14,240 audience, a majority of participants noted that their 384 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,920 inclusion indicates how the industry has changed. 385 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,720 The pool of quote UN quote appropriate celebrities for 386 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,240 ambassadorships has expanded to include content creators. 387 00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:27,120 Emma Chamberlain was named brand ambassador for Lancome in 2023. 388 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:31,080 Alex Earl became Hero Cosmetics brand ambassador in 2024. 389 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,640 Both These women are obviously giants with an Internet culture, 390 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,480 so it isn't unusual to see them fronting a brand. 391 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:41,360 But As for celebrities who did not come up in traditional ways, 392 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:45,320 it shows how much times have changed on this evolution. 1 393 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,160 respondent named Maddie wrote quote. 394 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,280 I think brands have definitely altered their celebrity budgets, 395 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,640 allocating more budget for influencers. 396 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,320 I do think that influencer culture will die out at some 397 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,680 point, whether that be tomorrow or in 10 years, I'm not sure. 398 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,240 But celebrity and brand marketing seems to continue to 399 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,080 be alive and thriving. Honestly, I don't think brands 400 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,240 have much of A choice as to changing their celebrity 401 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:07,960 marketing strategies. They're just a. 402 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:10,120 Adapting to what the market currently wants. 403 00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:13,080 With that, it's clear the current market is defined by 404 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:16,120 distrust, which is unfortunate for many marketers. 405 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,320 There are many reasons for this, but one chronically online 406 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:23,040 factor that is often overlooked is the rise of watchdog and 407 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,720 update accounts like Este Laundry and Diet Prada. 408 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,680 If you're a regular listener of Mini Scroll and Infinite Scroll, 409 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:30,800 you will already be familiar with these accounts. 410 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,320 They rose to prominence through the 20 tens, with Este Laundry 411 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:37,560 and Diet Prada shedding light on industry missteps and scandals 412 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:40,200 across beauty and fashion. What made these accounts 413 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,120 groundbreaking was the fact that they created a Direct Line from 414 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:46,240 consumers to brands, holding them accountable in a way that 415 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,680 had never really existed before. As Awashi Victor puts it for 416 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,840 days to quote, for the first time ever, social media gave 417 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,760 consumers a platform to speak directly to companies about the 418 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:59,880 need for wider shade ranges, cultural appropriation, body 419 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:03,320 positivity, and even address toxic work culture. 420 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:06,320 From covering bullying in the beauty industry to controversial 421 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:09,480 celebrity collaborations, Este Laundry and Diet Prada built 422 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:11,920 their followings on honesty and accuracy. 423 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,080 In an age where transparency and truthfulness have become central 424 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:18,400 to a brand's reputation, these watchdog accounts have proven 425 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,400 that they can make or break campaigns. 426 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,760 So much so that Dolce and Gabbana filed to sue Diet Prada 427 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:28,040 for defamation in March 2021. As for Este Laundry, the account 428 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,680 did go dark in 2023, only recently returning because they 429 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,960 felt their mission to call it corporations was still 430 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:35,720 necessary. They explained why in a 431 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,880 conversation with Dazed Quote. By 2020 Free, we weren't feeling 432 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,800 the same sense of purpose or excitement we had when we first 433 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,240 started the account. The beauty space had changed, 434 00:21:44,360 --> 00:21:46,520 public sentiment around accountability, culture was 435 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,680 shifting, and we weren't sure if what we were doing still had a 436 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:51,560 place. So we decided to take a step 437 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,040 back and only return if it ever felt right. 438 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,160 In an era of seemingly decreasing representation and 439 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,520 the vilification of DEI, it makes sense that they felt the 440 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,520 call to return at this particular moment in time, with 441 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:06,120 essay laundry and diet product paving the way for call out 442 00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:07,040 culture. Gen. 443 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,840 Z has come of age in a world where it is normal to hold 444 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:12,960 brands accountable when they are not being inclusive or standing 445 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:14,840 for something bigger. This framing of Gen. 446 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,920 Z as a socially conscious generation has been a topic of 447 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,240 discussion since 2020. Since then, that reputation has 448 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,760 fractured somewhat with the return of more conservative 449 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,160 values, Gen. Z men supporting candidates like 450 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,240 Donald Trump, and the growing popularity of trends like trad 451 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:31,200 wives. But it does seem this mentality 452 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:34,680 holds up to some degree. Or at the very least, it's how 453 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:38,000 brands are still approaching A demographic that remains genuine 454 00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:41,000 and difficult to reach. Consider Britta's new campaign 455 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,840 with Millie Bobby Brown as its global ambassador, for an 456 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:45,840 example. Over the years, Britta has 457 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:48,920 really embraced more purposeful messaging, and it's clear how 458 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:50,640 Millie is framing her ambassadorship. 459 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,960 Rather than simply promoting Britta's water filtration 460 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:55,640 products, the campaign goes behind the scenes of Millie's 461 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,080 life, exploring how she feels being in the public eye and what 462 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:00,760 she does to stay true to herself. 463 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,960 Ultimately, the campaign positions hydration as a form of 464 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,000 self-care for the actress and entrepreneur. 465 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,520 Quote one thing I will never apologize for being myself, she 466 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:11,400 says in an interview ahead of the campaign. 467 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:14,400 I feel like shaving my hair off as a young child taught me a lot 468 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,280 about not caring about what the world thinks of you and just 469 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:20,080 trying to embrace who you are. I don't do things that don't 470 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:21,760 feel organic and authentic to me. 471 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:24,360 I like to involve myself in things that have purpose, that 472 00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:26,680 have meaning and that fit into my daily life. 473 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,680 Britta is clearly responding to the current cultural landscape. 474 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:32,080 One scroll through the chronically online content on 475 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:35,200 Britta's TikTok is enough to show how on the pulse they are. 476 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:38,000 And by anchoring the campaign in something beyond product 477 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:40,760 replacement, it feels more aligned with the current online 478 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:44,120 landscape, making it far harder for digital watchdog accounts 479 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:47,440 and Genzed social media users to dismiss it entirely. 480 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:50,240 Where mission driven messaging is one way to gain Genzed's 481 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:52,800 respect, sometimes it's not about that at all. 482 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,160 Sometimes it's as simple as an awareness play, because getting 483 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,360 branded content to register with social media users is hard 484 00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:01,160 enough. Building brand recognition 485 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:03,640 through humor is something we have already touched on in this 486 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:06,320 episode, but it is worth exploring a little further. 487 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:09,520 Because of the way Internet culture operates, it runs almost 488 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:13,080 entirely on referential humor and deep cut references. 489 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,920 We see this in some of the biggest trends on TikTok, which 490 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,560 are often pretty weird or niche. Earlier this year, for example, 491 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,640 one of the most talked about moments online was the 365 492 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:26,120 buttons comment, where a TikTok user named Tamara commented on a 493 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:29,920 video that she was going to get 365 buttons so she could track 494 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:31,400 time passing throughout the year. 495 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,400 It quickly blew up and became one of those references that 496 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,480 only made sense if you were paying attention. 497 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,720 From this, you can tell that Jen and Zed likes to be in on the 498 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,480 joke. When a brand or celebrity 499 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,640 ambassador can lean into that without being cringe, youth 500 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,640 audiences respect it. That is why creating a specific 501 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,880 aesthetic or world for a brand can be so important. 502 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,400 A world in this context reflects the broader identity cultivated 503 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,000 by a brand throughout the content they post, the people 504 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,320 they platform, or just their general vibe. 505 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,280 When done well, it can send cues in a subtle way, signaling to 506 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:05,960 audiences who the brand is without having to say it 507 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:07,960 outright. There are many ways to do this. 508 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,240 Some brands do it through personality content on socials. 509 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:13,880 We often see this with influencer LED brands like All 510 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,040 for Mimi or Remi by Riley. Meanwhile, legacy brands like 511 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:19,080 Apple have dabbled with different methods. 512 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:21,760 Recently, Apple has been experimenting with brain wrought 513 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:24,280 style content on TikTok following the launch of the 514 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,280 MacBook Neo. The fact that it's TikTok 515 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,840 specific shows how Apple is building a world and aesthetic 516 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:32,720 to appeal to younger audiences. This aligns with Gen. 517 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,160 Z's broader obsession with defining themselves through 518 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,280 cores, and that extends to the brands they interact with with 519 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,120 pay attention to, and purchase from. 520 00:25:40,120 --> 00:25:42,160 A celebrity. Ambassadorship, then, can be a 521 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,720 powerful way to solidify a brand's world or expanded into 522 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:49,200 new territory, and no recent example illustrates this better 523 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,200 than Gap and Cat's Eye. Through the 1980s, Nineteen 90s 524 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,400 and early 2000s, Gap was genuinely iconic. 525 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,120 It was known for its denim, its basics, and its sleek campaigns. 526 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:03,320 The Individuals of Style campaign is a perfect example. 527 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:06,000 It was a series of black and white portraits featuring 528 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,560 cultural icons such as Whoopi Gold, Stolberg and Joan Didion. 529 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:13,440 Another iconic moment was the Cocky Swing campaign from 1998, 530 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:16,360 which featured a group of young people dancing to swing music in 531 00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:18,760 their cockies. Throughout the 20 tens, things 532 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,320 did shift for Gap. The brand seemed to lose its 533 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:24,680 relevance and identity, trying to stay quote UN quote modern. 534 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,720 Nothing illustrated this more clearly than the logo redesign 535 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,320 in 2010, which sparked such significant backlash that Gap 536 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:34,040 later reverted the logo. In recent years, though, the 537 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:37,400 brand has returned to its roots, and the Cat's Eye veteran denim 538 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,560 campaign is a sign of that. It featured Cat's Eye girls in 539 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,200 full denim outfits, dancing to Milkshake by Kelis against a 540 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,720 clean white background. It quickly went viral, 541 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:51,880 accumulating 155.7 million views on TikTok and another 69,000,000 542 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,000 on YouTube. Obviously, the success was 543 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,800 partly because of its nostalgic element and the popularity of 544 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,160 Cat's Eye, but it was also perfectly timed. 545 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:01,840 The ad dropped a month after Sydney Sweeney's controversial 546 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,760 American Eagle campaign. Where American Eagle leaned into 547 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:08,040 a weird kind of white supremacist yet sexualized 548 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:12,440 aesthetic, the Gap in Cat's Eye ad felt like the total opposite. 549 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,440 As the Gap campaigns choreographer Robbie Blue put it 550 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,640 quote, the story we're telling is the story of unity. 30 551 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:21,480 dancers in different dance styles, plus one female pop 552 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,880 group, Cat's Eye. It's really a celebration of 553 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:26,920 everyone's differences. The success of the advertisement 554 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,040 is evidenced by the numbers and by the fact that the Internet 555 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:32,760 and the Cat's Eye fandom are almost nostalgic for the Gap 556 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:36,160 era, with Mana no longer being in the group, so it seems, and 557 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,400 generating that kind of response to Branded content amongst Gen. 558 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:42,440 Z is no small feat. So is there still a place for 559 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,120 the celebrity ambassador in the era of social media? 560 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,000 As long as there are budgets to spend and products to promote? 561 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,280 The answer seems to be yes. The celebrity industrial complex 562 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,320 is not going away anytime soon, even with AI. 563 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:57,280 But the function of celebrity ambassadorships probably has to 564 00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,480 change, and in many ways it already has. 565 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,880 Brands and media do not hold the same cultural capital as they 566 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,880 once did decades ago. Brands are no longer the sole 567 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,560 entities setting trends. Increasingly, they are 568 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,360 responding to trends as they emerge online, making this 569 00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:14,000 process participatory and community driven. 570 00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:17,400 Ultimately, this evolution from the classic top down approach 571 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:19,320 weakens a brand's marketing power. 572 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,080 That said, celebrity endorsements can still boost 573 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:25,240 sales and build cultural momentum, but they primarily 574 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:28,720 serve as a heuristic for consumers who are constantly 575 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,800 bombarded with content. As we have established, this has 576 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:34,440 become particularly important when targeting Gen. 577 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:36,680 Z. The challenge of course is that 578 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,640 just when brands have figured out the so-called rules of 579 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:41,200 speaking to Gen. Z, Gen. 580 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,400 Alpha is on their way and something tells us that things 581 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,640 will change even more. Infinite Scroll is a podcast 582 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,480 produced, presented and Co written by me, Lauren Meisner 583 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:53,160 for Centennial World. This episode was researched and 584 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,960 written by Annabelle and David. Thank you so much for listening. 585 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,280 I love you guys and I will talk to you next week. 586 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:00,760 Bye. Centennial World Podcast network 587 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:03,600 operates on Gadigal land. We would like to acknowledge the 588 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,840 Gadigal of the Aura Nation, the traditional custodians of this 589 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:10,400 land, and pay our response to elders both past and present.