text: Do Celebrity Endorsements Influence Your Behavior? - The New York Times
  The Learning Network | Do Celebrity Endorsements Influence Your Behavior?
  Do Celebrity Endorsements Influence Your Behavior?
  July 22, 2010 5:17 am July 22, 2010 5:17 am
  To promote her initiative to combat childhood obesity, Michelle Obama recruited Major League baseball players to be featured in an ad campaign. Do you think that will help get kids' attention and induce them to adopt a healthier diet and lifestyle?
  Jane L. Levere reports on the latest phase of the first lady's "Let's Move" campaign:
  Distributed by the Advertising Council, the campaign consists of 30 television and 30 radio spots, customized for each of the league's teams. Other versions of television and radio ads will be distributed nationally in markets with no local team. Those will feature Curtis Granderson, the Yankee center fielder and the campaign's national spokesman. […]
  Each ad begins with video of Mrs. Obama, who was filmed in late May on the South Lawn of the White House, telling viewers: "There are so many fun things we all can do to be healthier, no matter who you are or where you are. So let's move." Each ad is illustrated with film of the local baseball team's players stretching, tagging opponents and celebrating at home plate.
  The Major League Baseball Players Association designated 30 players to be team spokesmen in the ads, including Mr. Granderson of the Yankees and Jeff Francoeur, right fielder for the New York Mets.
  Students: Tell us what you think about the use of celebrities in ad campaigns. Do you think the ads featuring baseball stars will convince families, including kids, to eat better and exercise more? Do the ads motivate you? Overall, do you think celebrity endorsements or appearances influence you, either overtly or subtly?
  Meris July 22, 2010 · 9:16 pm
  Yes, I have to admit that celebrity endorsements affect my buying. Case in point: Stacey London definitely did influence my buying Pantene shampoo and conditioner. I admire her style and this totally translated into an increase desire to purchase the product. –from Meris Yeaw, in Newport, R. I.
  Julie July 23, 2010 · 8:16 am
  You really have to develop healthy habits when you are young. Celebrities may encourage you to start something, but you have to have the knowledge of how to be healthy as well as the habits to continue.
  MercedesLC July 23, 2010 · 11:47 am
  Ads don't convince me at all because they try to fool people into think whatever the ads are saying is right or good for you. Ads are scams and for the first lady to "try to improve the health of america" is not her job in the first place. I think she should leave the get healthier ads for the diet programs.
  Ismael July 24, 2010 · 9:10 pm
  I actually do believe that celebrity endorsements could motivate, if not convince, someone to eat healthier and exercise. I think it probably has more of an impact on children since if they see a celebrity they like exercising, they want to be just like them and start exercising as well.
  Tiffany August 2, 2010 · 8:09 pm
  Oh, definitely. Children watch plenty of television and movies, and find heroes in characters and subsequently, their portrayers. You can see the influence of celebrities everywhere by the way people dress and behave.
  Patty September 8, 2010 · 12:49 am
  The influence of a celebrity presence in an ad campaign is probably very effective. I tend to fall for these kind of things and get carried away in the whole trend system and thought process that since this celebrity uses it, it seems to work. I think for products, it can be a little shifty, but for something like exercise and eating right, using baseball players is a great example because they're not only speaking for it, but also living it out. And what's better than having your favorite celebrity inspire you to get up and make a difference in your life or in another person's? Now, if it was someone like Rosie O'Donnell telling you to exercise more i wouldn't go for it just because its hypocritical that this overweight woman is telling me to go exercise. Overall though, celebrity endorsements are very effective, especially if aimed for the youth.
  BrunoBoissier4u2Envy12 October 22, 2011 · 12:26 am
  I think that the more they use young talented beautiful, athletics or actresses the more products sold worldwide.To me using young beautiful talented celebrities producing a new product that just came out will help the product be sold all around the world because, if a young celebrity for example, Aubrey "Drake" Graham, if he uses the new product most likely females or men will buy this product because, if he uses it and makes him or smell good, or look good, then girls or boys will buy the product and it will most likely sale a lot.
  danielle young October 25, 2011 · 4:26 pm
  i think that celebrity endorsements influence young adults' behavior because many young adults watch many hours of television. when they watch television they come across many commercials about health and make-up. when young adults watch make-up commercials they see how beautiful the celebrity looks and that makes them want to be as beautiful and they go out and buy the product
  Robert P November 15, 2011 · 11:38 am
  celebrity endorsements influence people's behavior because tv is a popular advertisement. People like certain kinds of endorsements especially from celebrities. One reason this is true because people advertise it very good and it convinces people to buy the product.
  Elegbede tinuola josephine February 20, 2012 · 4:47 pm
  Celeberity endorsement helps to boost people's confidence in purchasing a produt because people belive the celeberity will definately be using or patronising such products.
  Amy April 26, 2012 · 8:06 pm
  Yes, to be completely honest, I do buy products that have been endorsed because I think that if a product is good enough for a celebrity, i think that i would be very happy to own a product endorsed by a celebrity. Even if i know that they may not actually like it and that they are payed to do it at their own will or not, i still like the idea that the product that I'm going to buy is used by celebrity. Also, if that celebrity is one that i know and admire like Selena Gomez or Justin Beiber for say, i would buy the product for sure even if i know it is garbage most of the time.
  Depending on the product the celebrity is using, it may have a different effect on different viewers. For example, if you see an ad on make up and you see that the celebrity wearing it is stunning and etc, you want to buy that product because the advertisers want you to think that using the product will make you look exactly like the person in the ad, but aside from air brushing and other techniques, the product may only make one part of your body look nice, but it wont make the rest look like the celebrity portrayed.
  Justin April 26, 2012 · 8:37 pm
  (Q#1) I think using celebrities in ad campaigns is okay but there will still be a majority/minority that will not care much about baseball, celebrities or stars; I for one does not watch, care about or play baseball. (Q#2) I do not think the ads featuring baseball stars will convince people; kids, to eat better and exercise more because most people don't watch baseball and therefore won't care about a baseball star as much. (e.g [From a person named Tom] <— [Found on web] "The majority may mildly affiliate themselves to their local team, but most people don't watch it tentatively. Some people like watching their kids play, but they don't like watching major league baseball.") (Q#3) No the ads do not motivate me, I for one do not like baseball, watching baseball or any sport except tennis, badminton, swimming and archery. If anything, the ads de-motivate me, if there is such a word. It does not motivate me to do something or buy something. (Q#4) No, I do not think celebrity endorsements influence me either overtly or subtly, I do not buy things on a whim because of a certain star or celebrity is using it or such.
  Benjamin April 26, 2012 · 8:52 pm
  After reading the article, I believe that Michelle Obama made a pretty good decision on choosing a Major League baseball team. Overall, I think that featuring celebrities in ads will promote the product or service better than having any random person in the ad. This is because many kids and adults may like the celebrity and will buy the product/service the celebrity uses.
  Michelle Obama is using baseball stars for her ad. Because of that, I am not so motivated towards her service because I am not interested in sport stars, singers, and those types of celebrities. But to some people, like kids who like playing baseball, it may motivate them greatly because they may want to be like the baseball stars.
  Unfortunately, I believe that there still are many flaws in celebrity endorsements. One of these is that the celebrity may not even be liked by the people watching the ad (me included). So the ad will just have a negative and maybe even the opposite effect it is supposed to make. I am an example of this. I am not attracted to sports stars, pop, rock, rap, and most of the singers who sing modern music. I am more attracted to dancers, musicians, actors and artists (the Arts). You might say I'm not a 'normal' kid. In my entire life, I have only seen about 10 ads that feature celebrities from these categories. My final point is that most ads do not motivate me at all.
  Looking back at Michelle Obama's idea, it may or may not work. It still has the flaws that I mentioned above. If there are really sporty people that like baseball, this ad will definitely influence them more that anybody else. Or if there are really fat and obese people, they may want to try is out as well. But some people (spotlight on REALLY skinny and REALLY fat people), think that they are too far from being saved. So instead of heeding this warning, they may continue doing whatever they used to do.
  After watching the YouTube video, I know more about the ad, but it still does not motivate me. Why? More or less, I have never seen an ad with celebrities that did motivate me before, except for the one featuring Peter Oundjian, which led me to buy my Schimmel piano. I my eyes, I believe I am not too skinny, and not too fat. Even if I am, I try to not let these ads affect me. So far, it has worked really well.
  Of course, it is never wrong to want to be like a celebrity you adore. There is nothing wrong whatsoever. If an ad influences you, go for it. My only suggestion is to not go overboard, and get too into it. Because we all know that we are who we are, and you can never be someone else (proved by the characteristics of twins).
  andia April 26, 2012 · 9:33 pm
  i think that it is a good idea to try to encourage kids with a commercial of their favorite baseball players… but what if they're not a baseball fan? I don't think EVERYONE would get the message though. only the people that know these baseball players and are influenced by them. When I see a commercial with celebrities I'm not exactly the type of person that says "OMG i have to buy this because ________________ is using it" so i wouldn't be really motivated.
  David Kathy December 2, 2015 · 12:07 am
  Chloe February 22, 2016 · 8:15 am
  Yes, celebrity endorsements do affect my buying. Celebrities famous on YouTube especially influence my choices.