ISSN No - RBS

Glamour, Glitz and Promotion –Celebrities and The Adworld.Sumana Shome*It will be quite interesting to note that as time passed, the notion of communicating to the target market(about a product) has considerably changed. The world of advertisement is nothing but a Dionysian fieldof unmatched creativity and imagination. The muse of the adman is found everywhere - From glamorousBollywood celebrities to serial artistes, from sportsmen to local stars – The buck does not stop there – Fromdesigner sets to designer costumes, et al, have captured the creative mind of the advertiser. The favourableand likeable qualities of a celebrity endorser are reflected in their promoted products. Moreover, becauseof their name and fame, it becomes easier for the adman to attract the audience, as well as it becomes easierfor the consumer to recall a brand endorsed by a celebrity. The paper tries to get into the nuances ofcelebrity endorsements and their effectiveness in endorsing a particular product. It delves deep into thefactors concerning the psychology of the consumer, particularly concerning the gamut of celebritypromotions.Key Words : Celebrities, Brand, Promotion, Creativity, Endorsement.The mesmerizingcharisma, theoverwhelming glamour,the attractiveness, theunmatched grandeur,the magnanimity, theethereal appeal – Suchqualities have added upto the creation ofcelebrity endorsements.INTRODUCTION“Shah Rukh To Nahin, ParHandsome Koi Bhi Ban Sakta Hai”(TV Commercial) – There goes a linefrom a famous advertisement formen’s fairness creams – Emami ‘Fairand Handsome (Mardon WaaliStrong Cream)’ - endorsed by noneother than, Bollywood hottie, ShahRukh Khan. The mesmerizingcharisma, the overwhelmingglamour, the attractiveness, theunmatched grandeur, themagnanimity, the ethereal appeal –Such qualities have added up to thecreation of celebrity endorsements.Wherever you see, they are there.One of the greatest philosophers ofall ages, Aristotle had very rightlysaid – “Beauty is a greaterrecommendation than any letter ofintroduction.” – For this very reasonthe world of advertisement runsafter celebrity endorsements – Onecan find them promoting ‘n’ numberof products, with or without anysignificant need or benefit from thesame. Moreover, every product hasits image in the minds of theconsumers – He or she tries to usethat very brand which, he feels,would satisfy his own personality.The best-fit celebrity wouldeventually be a person with whomthe consumer would have a feeling of‘oneness’ – That is, he would be ableto identify his personality with the* Lecturer, Head Of The Department (Marketing), George College (Department Of Management Studies)Mollargate, Kolkata, India[ 20 ] Rai Management Journal