An Investigation into the “Match-up” Hypothesis in Celebrity Advertising: When Beauty May Be Only Skin Deep

TLDR

The match‑up hypothesis posits that a celebrity’s physical attractiveness only enhances product and ad evaluations when the product aligns with the celebrity’s image. This study tests the attractiveness component of that hypothesis. For an attractiveness‑related product, a physically attractive celebrity (Tom Selleck) significantly raised spokesperson credibility and ad attitude versus an unattractive celebrity (Telly Savalas), but for an attractiveness‑unrelated product the attractive celebrity had no effect on spokesperson, product, or ad measures; the results inform advertising strategy and suggest future research directions.

Abstract

Abstract This study represents a supportive test of the attractiveness aspect of the “match-up” hypothesis of celebrity/product congruence discussed in depth by Kahle and Homer (1985). The hypothesis implies that the physical attractiveness of a celebrity endorser may only enhance both product- and ad-based evaluations if the product's characteristics “match-up” with the image conveyed by the celebrity. Empirically, it was found that for an attractiveness-related product, use of a physically attractive celebrity (Tom Selleck) was observed to significantly enhance measures of spokesperson credibility and attitude toward an ad, relative to use of a physically unattractive celebrity (Telly Savalas). Alternatively, the physically attractive celebrity was found to have no effect on various spokesperson-, product-and ad-based dependent measures relative to the physically unattractive celebrity for an attractiveness-unrelated product. Implications of these findings for advertising strategy are discussed, and directions for future research are outlined.