Riding with fame: Stars on wheels

What do Daniel Craig, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington and Harrison Ford have in common?

Aside from outstanding acting chops that earned them awards, they are also faces behind the world’s most celebrated cars.

Celebrity endorsements are not new in the world of automobiles. The value that famous people bring to cars is exciting, immediate and familiar, thus proven to inspire stronger customer confidence. Consumer attitudes change at a rapid pace, and they are more inclined to buy products that define their idea of self. As this importance takes its shape, celebrity endorsements must transform into a responsible social experiment.  It takes good judgment call to choose the right star for the right car.

There are mutual benefits. James Bond movies and The Fast and the Furious franchise would not be blockbuster hits without riveting, sensual displays of driving gorgeous cars. On the other hand, automakers might not have reached its peak in brand recall and market familiarity if not for powerful names that add glamour and gravitas to their campaigns.

In a July 2016 article at Forbes, Ad Age reveals that “a brand that inks an endorsement contract with a celebrity or an athlete can see their stock rise up to .25 as soon as the news is made public.” It means that there is “an increase in perceived legitimacy from the celebrity’s endorsement, sometimes even if the product has not changed at all.”

The Philippines is no stranger to celebrity brand ambassadors who can add appeal even to the most generic of products. They easily generate greater attention to products, and even elicit intense feelings and emotions that influence buying behavior. These personalities hope to associate social values with their inspired endorsements.

For brands like Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet and Audi, their marketing strategies this year banked on tapping the right spokespersons for their automotive line. They established their brand value alongside a person with specific lifestyle or philosophy that helped achieve their objectives. They tapped big-named celebrities whom they think perfectly represent their core values and raison d’être.

Virility, power

Isuzu D-MAX’s newest face is actor, athlete and TV host Derek Ramsay, whose good looks, rugged toughness and ambition to succeed embody the car’s biggest strengths. With a wide stance and heavy duty suspension, D-MAX is known to drive through the toughest terrains. “He truly represents the Isuzu D-MAX image,” shares Joseph Bautista, Vice President, Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC). “He is also kind, generous and a perfect gentleman. A tender soul as reflected in his personal life, Derek’s close relationship with his family and participation in various charitable institutions are also reasons for getting him.”

For Isuzu, having a brand ambassador is important to expand market reach. “We are already a well-known brand. Having a brand ambassador opens up whole other avenues and gives the public a much more concrete representation of the values that our product advocates. ”

The company did an extensive above- and below-the-line activities for its D-MAX campaign, which were instrumental for the public to experience the unit themselves. Events afforded them a three-dimensional platform with which to engage existing and potential customers. Social media also helped. “We’d like to believe that we have some of the most vocal and outspoken customers out there and having a direct link with them through our online platforms is great,” Bautista adds. However, he recognizes that a beloved personality has bearing in influencing or encouraging people to buy their products. “Let’s face it, as a culture, we love our celebrities. We always look up to them. We take our cues from them. We feel that for a brand such as Isuzu, a brand ambassador works.”

Family, love

THE NEW Chevrolet Sail unveiled at the MIAS

Chevrolet Philippines chose the Legaspi family because they believe that the family mirrors the carmaker’s faith in good family values. The brand vows to be with families for the long haul because of its durability and automobile expertise that spans over a hundred years, and the Legaspi’s credibility and influence ham it up.

“With the Legaspis, there is always laughter. They genuinely and truly enjoy their time together, be it at work or while relaxing in between takes. We particularly appreciate how authentic and relatable they are,” shares Lyn Buena, senior vice president and director for marketing services, Chevrolet.

“The Legaspis testify that Chevrolet cars are built for the joy of a great driving experience and for creating happy memories road trips with family and friends,” she adds.

ZOREN and Mavy’s relationship goes stronger and deeper each day, with shared passions, hobbies, interests and mutual love.

Celebrity endorsements, according to Buena, bring in a lot of value, particularly in connecting with the target audience. Sharing great stories about life’s journeys in a Chevrolet through brand ambassadors translate to more brand advocacy—and therefore a “healthier” brand.

The best to come out of these endorsements emanates from real-life stories of Chevy clients about their own heartwarming family experiences. Recently, as shared through social media, a life story went viral (with over 3 million views and over 57,000 shares) about a pastor who was given a surprise gift—a Chevrolet Trailblazer—by his sons to express their appreciation for their father.

“The Trailblazer happens to be the pastor’s dream car and so his family worked hard to pool their resources to gift him his dream SUV,” Buena shares. “It was authentic, heartwarming and it speaks so much about Filipino family values, much like what Chevy essentially lives for.”

Fun, youthful

As one of the most celebrated celebrity couples in the country, Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards (popularly known as “Aldub”) are believed to represent Mitsubishi’s thrust in reaching out to a diverse market. “We wanted to renew the market’s enthusiasm on the Mirage. Aldub’s fanbase comprises young people who are full of dreams and living their lives to the fullest, but they also have fans who are nearly 100 years old, and from almost all walks of life,” explains Froy Quintana, first vice president, marketing division, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines.

“The endorsement helped in further strengthening the brand. It improved our showroom traffic and later on converted traffic to sales,” adds Quintana. “In fact, some of our customers would come to our showroom and ask about the color and availability of the Mirage that Alden and Maine endorse.”

Mitsubishi Philippines recognizes brand ambassadors as an effective marketing tool because they create greater brand recall. With the right match between the celebrity and the product’s characteristics, and with the proper mix of advertising medium, celebrity endorsements are sure to contribute to brand success.

Quintana pointed out that celebrities are only partly instrumental to the consumer’s decision and brand success. “The consumer still buys products that best deliver what they need.”

Sophistication, versatility

Audi Philippines Corporate Affairs director Amado Del Rosario said Audi picked Anne Curtis because she represents and epitomizes core values like sophistication, progressiveness and versatility. “These are characteristics and values that successful individuals identify strongly with and aspire to consistently embody.”

Audi is one of the most famous brands in the premium and supercar segment of the market. Known for being well-engineered and stylish, Audi is positioned to easily attract the upscale market. While few would think that it needs star power to get sales, Del Rosario shares that there has been a net positive impact in terms of the association between the brand and Anne’s celebrity status.

“Customers have indeed walked into our showrooms and have remarked “Alin dito yung kay Anne?” or “I want the same car that Anne has right now.” Del Rosario shares that models Anne endorses have received an uptick in terms of traffic, interest and overall sales during the active endorsement period.

Del Rosario, however, underscores that beyond celebrities, it all boils down to message. “It is a wide, varied and, to a certain extent, complicated marketplace that we have right now. With the proliferation of various media and the wide levels of engagement among these, ensuring that your message or communication is brought across is becoming incredibly challenging.”

“Sorting through what works and what does not is also becoming quite an exercise. However, in the end, competitive brands are always trying out new stuff and tinkering under the hood, aside from utilizing traditional and emerging marketing mixes.”

Brand ambassadors are mouthpieces of a bigger marketing revolution in the Philippines, which is personifying a company’s set of values and market awareness to drive success. Consumers now tend to buy more for relatability and real-life values than mere convenience. In a world where everything looks and feels the same, car brands that put more premium on what makes them more human seem to make a far bigger difference.