Who, Moi? Exploring the Fit Between Celebrity Spokescharacters and Luxury Brands

Abstract

Brands use spokescharacters like Hello Kitty and Miss Piggy to successfully market products like candy, cereal, and fast food to both adults and children. Recently, advertisers and brands began using spokescharacters to promote luxury products like jewelry, handbags, and makeup to adult women, perhaps to tap into women’s nostalgic feelings about these characters from childhood. This study examines whether traditional Match Up perspectives apply to celebrity spokescharacters for luxury brands, and whether women’s proneness to nostalgia affected brand perceptions. Women assessed two popular spokescharacters (Miss Piggy and Hello Kitty) in terms of their credibility and fit with products in two luxury product categories: makeup and handbags. Results showed that fit was influenced by perceptions of spokesperson attractiveness and expertise, as well as the specific product category. Trustworthiness, a construct important in assessing fit with “real” celebrities, did not affect fit for celebrity spokescharacters. Women’s proneness to nostalgia influenced perceptions of attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise but did not influence perceptions of fit.