Brands have been rethinking their use of costly celebrity endorsements in light of the soft economy and stars' overexposure and embarrassing slip-ups. At the same time, we're seeing companies like Red Lobster and Ford turn to ordinary people to promote their products. In the age of user-generated content and transparency, real people just make the brand seem more genuine and authentic, the thinking goes. But if people have a hard time believing celebrities use the products they endorse, do they necessarily buy the real-people sale? Adweek took to the streets to find out what everyday people think of the non-actor, non-celebrity pitchman.
Red Lobster The seafood chain had actual chefs ("grill masters") from its restaurants extol the virtues of their cooking styles and fresh ingredients.
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(view full photo gallery)
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Luis, 54
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Kelsie Marie, 17
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Nicholas, 24
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Christopher, 37
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Ford An actual customer seemed stunned to find himself before a gaggle of reporters, who grilled him about features like fuel efficiency.
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John, 39
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Kai, 29
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Cory, 30
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Robert, 53
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Febreze Ordinary people were pulled off streets, blindfolded, then asked to describe the scent of a filthy room treated with the fabric freshener.
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Jamie, 26
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Glenn, 40
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Alisha, 39
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Esther, 48
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More in-depth analysis: Get Real, by Lucia Moses
Full screen gallery of these portraits can be found here.
All Photos by Elizabeth Lippman.
