Could Celebrities Ever Sway Our Votes?

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney and former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal exchange gifts before a press conference in Sydney, Aug. 27, 2022. AAP Image/Pool/Flavio Brancaleone

Commentary

The referendum’s Yes campaign, initiated by the Albanese Labor government in Australia, heavily weaponised local and international celebrity endorsements.

The Indigenous Voice to Parliament sought to alter the Australian Constitution to recognise Indigenous people by establishing a near-permanent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory body in Parliament. It ended up failing on Oct. 14.

The Yes campaign support included the majority of ASX-listed top 20 companies.

The celebrity lineup rolled out to back the campaign included heavyweights like singer John Farnham (who has now lost some of his fanbase), TV presenter Rove McManus, NRL Panthers Captain Nathan Cleary (after winning the Grand Final), Australian athlete Cathy Freeman, comedian Celeste Barber, reality TV contestant Abbie Chatfield, and actor Cate Blanchett amongst others.

It also included overseas voices such as NBA legend Shaquille O’Neil and actor Jason Momoa.

Actor Jason Momoa attends the InStyle Awards at Getty Center, in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 26, 2015. Jason Merritt/Getty Images/InStyle

Besides seeking to compel the nation to vote Yes some celebrities added their own twist.

Well-known Australian TV host, Ray Martin, said No voters who bought into the campaign against The Voice were “dinosaurs,” which didn’t inspire voters much.

Then there was the “Kamahl-mentum,” as termed by Mr. Albanese, when the octogenarian singer Kamahl switched his vote from No to Yes.

This earned him a spot on The Project television program where he declared he had changed his mind again and was voting No. Days before the election he said he may change his mind again and vote Yes.

Who knows what Kamahl voted? Did it sway the masses? Perhaps not but it made for some great entertainment.

Yet with the might of so many celebrities backing this referendum, the result was still a resounding failure for the government.

A defaced Vote Yes sign is seen in Bassendean in Perth, Australia, on Oct. 14, 2023. AAP Image/Richard Wainwright

If the government had researched celebrities and referendums they would have found that celebrity endorsements usually sound the death knell for political movements.

In 2016, David Beckham urged the British public to stay as part of the European Union along with Stephen Hawking and other celebrities. However, the majority of the population voted for Brexit.

In 2003 ABBA promoted the Yes side of the Swedish referendum to join the European Single Currency, yet ABBA met its Waterloo with the referendum being defeated.

Tennis player Andy Murray was unable to convince his fellow Scots to vote for independence in the 2014 referendum.

From referendums to politicians, celebrities have not fared well in swaying voters in elections.

Although Taylor Swift is probably the most popular musician on the planet, she is not known for making the best choices in men (according to her songs). Could she have chosen the wrong one to support when endorsing Democratic nominee Phil Bredesen as Tennessee senator in the 2018 midterm election?

He was not successful in his campaign.

Figures Show Celebrity Endorsements on a Descent

So are celebrities losing their polish? Celebrity marketing is facing increasing backlash.

Trustpilot put out a report that found that 67 percent of U.S. consumers and 65 percent of UK consumers had low levels of trust in celebrity-influenced endorsements and products.

Another smaller survey done by Inmar showed that 34 percent of people were more likely to buy something that their peers have endorsed compared to just 3 percent with a celebrity endorsement.

The Economic Times of India reports that Yuvaa revealed that 50 percent of India’s Gen Z are more likely to buy something based on a peer’s recommendation than that of a celebrity.

These statistics don’t bode well for previous celebrity endorsements which are costing corporations as much as one billion dollars or more per celebrity.

For example, football legend Lionel Messi has a lifetime US$1 billion deal with Adidas and another $19.2 million per year from all sales of Messi-branded merchandise, according to Sports Brief.

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi celebrates after his goal against the New York Red Bulls during an MLS soccer match at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., on Aug. 26, 2023. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP Photo

Selena Gomez signed a $30 million deal with Puma in 2017, George Clooney received US$40 million for his agreement with Nespresso, and football star Cristiano Ronaldo receives around US$451,000 per social media post.

According to e4m, celebrity-endorsed advertising on television in India has decreased by 10 percent from January to June 2023, compared to the same period a year earlier.

Over 50 percent of the ads fall into three categories: food and beverages; personal care; and household products (not referendums!).

The decline is being noticed.

Hylink USA’s Humphrey Ho told PR Week, “Celebrity influence only works now when promoting a brand with cause, or purpose marketing. Otherwise, we notice brands are re-evaluating their influencer strategy, and A-listers are making a comeback on traditional formats like DOOH, CTV, and other advertising mediums.”

The State of Influencer Marketing 2022 report shows that 46 percent more marketers are now working with nano influencers (5,000 to 20,000 followers).

Shah of affable.ai. told PR Week that “Nano and micro-influencers tend to post more regularly, they are cost-effective, their content might be less polished but that adds to the relatability that brands are striving for.”

Nielsen’s study on social media influencers shows that 80 percent of social media users in Asia are more likely to buy products recommended by these influencers.

Yet while nano influencers are having their moment, the question remains as to whether they could influence a referendum.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.