Brand strategy plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer perceptions and driving sales. An increasingly prevalent tactic employed by luxury brands is celebrity collaborations, where high-profile figures lend their name and influence to enhance a brand's image and reach. This creates the potential for fans and consumers to see their favorite idols representing a brand and to want to buy from that company.

Celebrity collaborations are not new. With social media platforms such as TikTok producing more influencers daily, brand deals have become monetized and casual. The market for influencer marketing has doubled since 2019.

However, the ethics of celebrities endorsing products in an embellished manner are debatable. Even when celebrities do not exaggerate about a product, their status and power make them more persuasive to viewers who idolize them. Beyond this, it is in our DNA to trust the faces we constantly see on the internet or TV.

The aspect of familiarity with celebrities plays a role in why consumers are likely to trust them. Our brains are constantly storing information, including recognizing faces we see often. In the past, this recognition process was important for survival, but now, it causes us to fall victim to manipulation by those who may not have our best interests in mind.

When we recognize faces, our brains distinguish them as either friend or foe. However, we are not equipped to differentiate between friends and celebrities. Because of this, we tend to trust the words of our favorite movie stars. Furthermore, a Wharton study on marketing psychology showed that people are more likely to choose products endorsed by a celebrity than those by a non-celebrity, and they make that choice faster. This is also tied to evolution, as primates tend to follow those of high status or success, believing it will lead to their own success.

Consumer vulnerability and willingness to believe, paired with celebrity incentives to put their face on a product, are sources of concern. Receiving commission from product endorsements incentivizes influencers to misrepresent their quality. By this formula, influencers and brands profit, while consumers are often left disappointed.

Popular influencers, whether they are artists or just social media influencers, have a personal and intimate relationship with their Gen Z followers. While the nature of luxury brands is exclusivity, this doesn’t stop brands from wanting to expand their reach.

Their exclusive nature calls for a wider audience. With larger groups of people learning about the newest Chanel or Dior item, the likelihood someone will spend their money on this product increases.

When brands collaborate with celebrities, they often play into the niche of the celebrity with whom they are partnering. Rapper A$AP Rocky’s 2016 GUESS partnership is a prime example. The trademark of this line was switching out the first “S” in GUESS, spelling the iconic logo out as “GUE$S.” This played on A$AP Rocky’s famous name spelling, which is specific to his brand as an artist. GUESS announced a second collaboration with A$AP Rocky in 2024, a clothing line influenced by retro '80s pieces like their denim jackets and T-shirts. This strategy catches a consumer’s eye because it makes the product feel more personable. Even if a consumer rarely considers a brand, associating it with an iconic celebrity logo may enhance their perception of it.

Celebrity endorsements and collaborations have the potential to significantly boost a brand’s prestige and success in the fashion industry. Brands employ various tactics, from influencer partnerships to celebrity-themed clothing lines in order to attract younger audiences.

Next time you see your favorite celebrities like A$AP Rocky rocking a brand’s clothes, consider whether you like the style, or are mindlessly following in your idols’ footsteps. The key to breaking out of the influencer trap is heightening your awareness. Are you genuinely eager for that product, or is your trust purely influenced by seeing your favorite celebrity’s face prominently advertised all over it?