Celebrity Endorsements Futile? Don't Tell Ann Taylor, Chanel, L'Oreal...

^{Image Courtesy L'Oreal}

A recent article at Forbes.com exploded the myth of a time-honored advertising tactic:  the celebrity endorsement.  Specifically, Dorothy Pomerantz's piece cited a study by Ace Metrix which examined 2010 celebrity ads and found that 20% actually had a negative impact on the advertiser.  The study findings were published at Advertising Age and show that on average only 12% of ads featuring celebrities were effective.

This news must be especially disturbing to a number of brands who have shelled out millions and millions of dollars to celebs to act as the "face" of their products--especially as it comes on the heels of a spate of celebrity endorsement announcements that have surfaced in the last month or so:

• Natalie Portman may be gaining Golden Globe and Oscar buzz for her performance in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, but she's also featured as the face of Miss Dior Cherie.


• Katie Holmes may be sitting pretty as far as financial security goes as the wife of Tom Cruise but she also recently landed a gig modeling for women's clothing retailer Ann Taylor.


• Gwyneth Paltrow's recent appearance on Glee may have been a pitch to make her seem more down-to-earth, but clearly Baume & Mercier are interested in her more upscale association in dubbing her their newest "friend of the brand."


• Drawing on Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia appeal, Jenny Craig appointed her their latest celebrity spokesperson.  Whether she ends up flaunting the famed Jabba the Hut bikini bod remains to be seen...


• Gossip Girl Blake Lively has become a brand ambassador for Chanel handbags.  That's certainly one way to be able to afford the pricey quilted bags!


• The ever-so-stylish Gwen Stefani is the latest face of L'Oreal Paris.  Is there anyone better suited to sell red lipstick than the singer and L.A.M.B. creator?  I think not.


• She may be Ron Howard's little girl, but Bryce Dallas Howard has made a name for herself in Eclipse, Terminator Salvation, Spider-Man 3 and now as the first celebrity ambassador of Kate Spade.

Are you swayed by celebrity endorsement?  Which celebrity ads do you think work well vs. which don't?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments...