Who is the Celebrity Endorser? Cultural Foundations of the Endorsement Process

1989/12/01 by Grant McCracken · 3,141 citations
Arts and Humanities · Business, Management and Accounting · Psychology · #Advertising #Art History and Market Analysis #Business #Computer science #Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification #Library science #Media studies #Psychology #Sociology #Wine Industry and Tourism

paper · doi:10.1086/209217

published in Journal of Consumer Research 16(3), 310 (Oxford University Press)

openalex publication_date 1989/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

This article offers a new approach to celebrity endorsement. Previous explanations, especially the source credibility and source attractiveness models are criticized, and an alternative meaning transfer model is proposed. According to this model, celebrities' effectiveness as endorsers stems from the cultural meanings with which they are endowed. The model shows how meanings pass from celebrity to product and from product to consumer. The implications of this model for our understanding of the consumer society are considered. Research avenues suggested by the model are also discussed. Copyright 1989 by the University of Chicago.

Citations

• Possessions and the Extended Self
• The Persuasive Effect of Source Credibility: Tests of Cognitive Response
• The Influence of Source Credibility on Communication Effectiveness

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