In a world where every screen, sound and scroll is trying to influence or sell you something, brands which point blank refuse to pay for celebrity endorsements seem to be the strongest.
Whilst most companies are scrambling to sign the newest Love Islanders each year, others stand firm on their morals and focus on what actually matters – the product. Even TikTok feels like a social media eBay these days, but these are the brands which point blank refuse to do celebrity endorsements.
Lush
Lush Cosmetics is strongly against a lot of things – including celebrity endorsements. Instead, it uses staff, activists and customers in its campaigns. Its reason for avoiding use of celebs is to maintain a message of authenticity and social responsibility.
The company also believes that advertising should not manipulate people with fame.
Carhartt
Originally created to provide workwear, Carhartt does a lot of its advertising in house, using customers and stores for authenticity.
Whilst regularly featured in films and TV like Interstellar, Yellowstone, and Supernatural, Carhartt’s bases a lot of its vibe from creators and stylists – notably not paid celebrity deals.
Greggs
The bakery chain uses humour and viral marketing rather than big names to brag about its pasties. It’s known for fun, cheeky social media campaigns and dodges celebs to endorse its products.
The marketing staff at Greggs are working overtime because it always hops on the latest trends and memes online. In essence, the brand prioritises relatability over bragging rights and is often cooking up a viral stunt which ends up getting celebrity backing anyway.
John Lewis
John Lewis doesn’t use celebrity brand endorsements in its core branding as it chooses storytelling rather than big names to stay memorable. It’s annual Christmas ad, for example, uses an emotional hook to tell a story to the viewer, building trust around customer service and heritage. The only celebrities it may are singers in the backing tracks.
IKEA
I don’t think IKEA UK would ever need a celebrity to tell me its good, so that’s exactly why it doesn’t. Aware of its target audience, IKEA focuses on everyday life, affordability, and practicality and its adverts reflect that.
IKEA’s advertising instead often uses real families or actors and aligns with a brand image of being for “the many people”.
Featured image via TikTok @maxsclobber @eatsbynat @monalise.adlee
