Celebrity Ambassadors: Help or Hurt Watch Sales?

pingtsai · 2014-05-25T16:25:36Z

Do celebrity ambassadors truly help sell luxury watches or just inflate prices? Join the debate on WatchProSite about marketing, brand prestige, and collector sentiment.

pingtsai

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

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Pingtsai's thought-provoking post from 2014 delves into the contentious role of celebrity ambassadors in the luxury watch industry. He questions whether these high-profile endorsements genuinely drive sales and enhance brand prestige, or if they merely inflate prices and alienate serious collectors. This discussion remains highly relevant, exploring the delicate balance between mass-market appeal and maintaining horological integrity.

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Do You Think Celebrity Ambassadors Help Sell Watches?

This is a question I've often pondered. Large brands can have marketing budgets in the seven figures. There is no doubt that a large portion of the expenses is designated to the cost of using a celebrity’s likeness and name to promote the brand’s watches. Ultimately this cost is passed down to the consumer and worked into the price tag.

An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph can be double or triple the price of other luxury watches with similar functions. Whether or not it is worth the premium price is debatable and depends on the individual.

Do they carry such high price tags because of all the marketing they do? Would their watches cost less if they weren’t photographed on the wrists of LeBron James or Michael Schumacher? What if we told AP, “It’s ok. We don’t care about these celebrities. Just give us a better price.” Or do these ambassadors help raise the prestige and exclusivity of the brand and as a result, the demand as well?

As LeBron dribbles his way to another championship, there is no doubt that AP couldn't be happier. Surely the magic of winning will somehow rub off from the sport's star player to the watch he is wearing when he delivers his post-game press conferences.

From past experience, I find that many serious watch collectors, or “PuristS”, tend to be turned off by the idea of a particular watch or brand being promoted by a famous person. The numerous launches of celebrity named Limited Editions has become so common that the watches themselves have lost some of their appeal.

In the past, athletes got their own shoe to signify super-star athlete status. Nowadays it seems that a limited edition watch deal could be enough. Of course, said super-star athletes had better be wearing their personally named watches when they win their next title. Perhaps there are incentives for finishing at the top and bonuses if you wear the watch while doing it. Anything is possible.

Back to the original question of whether or not stars help sell more watches. For certain groups of people, the answer is probably yes. Many people in the general public are not aware of luxury watch brands outside of Rolex. But they do know the faces of their favorite athletes and actors. So if they see an ad in a magazine or walking through the airport with LeBron, Dwayne Wade, Leonardo DiCaprio or Naomi Watts, they are more likely to take notice of it and the watches they are wearing.

When a brand launches a new watch, using a famous face to introduce it can initiate more buzz and recognition. For instance Bulgari chose Naomi Watts to represent their new LVCEA watch this year and as a result the brand received more exposure on a global scale. She is the newest female ambassador of the brand and Bulgari perfectly coordinated the launch with “awards season” in Hollywood where she was photographed at numerous events donning Bulgari jewels and watches. Seeing the pieces in their natural and glamorous environment on a beautiful actress definitely raised their appeal to prospective buyers as opposed to just seeing them in a display case.

In certain markets, I believe ambassadors can increase sales. However for true “PuristS”, it’s a bit of a hard sell, a sugar-coated treat fed to a group who prefers the taste of raw meat. Not only can they pick apart the individual nuances in a particular watch, they can appreciate them as well even if they don’t personally care for them. For serious collectors, whatever the watch is in its true essence, that is enough to garner the attention it needs. Remarkably, it will sell itself. Notorious models with bleached white smiles, although pleasant to look at, are far from necessary.

How do you feel? Do you think celebrity ambassadors can affect your purchasing decisions when it comes to buying a watch?

This message has been edited by pingtsai on 2014-05-25 16:38:01

Key Points from the Discussion

Celebrity ambassadors are a double-edged sword; while they can raise brand awareness, aligning a company with a celebrity's image carries risks, as scandals can damage the brand's perception.
The impact of ambassadors varies by brand and target audience; they can be effective for new brands seeking recognition or for mass-market retail, but may not resonate with discerning collectors.
Many serious collectors are turned off by celebrity endorsements, viewing 'ambassadors' as mere paid endorsers rather than genuine representatives, which can diminish a watch's appeal.
While celebrities undoubtedly bring awareness, especially to non-collectors, forced endorsements often weaken a brand's credibility among PuristS, reminding them that price isn't solely based on merit.
Some collectors report being actively turned off by a brand after seeing a celebrity endorsement, even for watches they initially liked, suggesting a negative impact on brand perception among enthusiasts.
This type of marketing primarily targets individuals unfamiliar with luxury watches, serving to position watches as important accessories, rather than appealing to knowledgeable enthusiasts.

The Discussion

れい

May 25, 2014

At least, it helps with the brand recognition. Do they affect my decision in buying my watches? Certainly not :)

ingmar

May 25, 2014

... It's something else. Lange just finished up a Lake Como Mazarati showcase, JLC just highlighted their polo connection.. I don't know if ambassadors help sell watches but they give the marketing department something to play with. I'd say Richard Mille does it best. His watches aren't just ambassador driven, it drives his technical direction. Finally, as always- your articles are well written and enjoyable to read. Thanks for the thoughtful commentary.

Echi

May 25, 2014

possess the qualities that are important to the brand. i think it's best when they do institutional ads rather than pairing off particular watches with celebs. i like those LV ads where they had Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie or the Coppollas, for example. having said that, i'm not a big fan of LV ;-) in places where they are unknown, a celeb endorsement will certainly help. i admit to catching myself when i get carried away by an ad and ask myself, "did i actually just fall for that?" :-)

Spellbound

May 25, 2014

And very well written. I suspect there are people who would buy a watch because some famous actor wore it in an ad. I have no issue with this as it serves a purpose of advertising and draws attention to a product that one might not have noticed. Is it a factor for me? Certainly not. In fact, I am more likely not to buy a watch if I saw it worn by some dorky actor (think Nicolas Cage and his Montblanc). I liked the way Zenith worked previously, with adventurers like Felix Baumgartner. The adverti

BABKA

May 25, 2014

However, for many people who admire the sports and music industries it makes a world of difference whose name is attached to a particular model. In the pre-owned market, I am more inclined to buy a watch from a person who's personality, outlook on life, success, etc. appeals to me.

amanico

May 25, 2014

IMO, this kind of marketing is targetting people who don't know watches, just to remind them that watches may be an important accessory / toy. For the rest, no, I don't see Ambassadors, at least these ones, useful. But there is another question: Aren't we, PuristS, the best ambassadors? Let me elaborate: This F1 Champion, Basket player, or Actor is not necessary known as a watchlover and WIS. So, what is the value of him or her wearing a Watch? This is not the case with us... When we say we love

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