Have you noticed how clogged information networks have become with celebrity endorsements? It seems everywhere you turn, a notorious rapper is subtly hawking minivans on Twitter or an actress is imploring you on television to purchase their new fragrance. And that doesn’t even include the enormous ranks of professional athletes from Tiger Woods to Anna Kournikova who are pitching products daily.

So far reaching has the celebrity endorsement business grown; there are now start-up firms whose sole purpose is to match celebrities with brands to advertise. Some celebrities are known to command as much as $10,000 per 140-character tweet. But, clearly, businesses see this practice as a viable investment as it continues to grow unabated.

Celebrity endorsements have been around since the dawn of the entertainment business. P.T. Barnum was said to be one of the most prolific hucksters history has known. There were, of course, many others; especially professional athletes who have – since the days of Ted Williams and Babe Ruth – had a penchant for sales as a significant salary adjuster.

It seems there is no limit to products celebrities will endorse. Their advertisements have been especially good for weight loss diets, retail fashion and other lifestyle-oriented products. While the business has been especially healthy since the late 1970s when Olympian Bruce Jenner’s smiling face graced the now-ubiquitous Wheaties cereal box and launched a cottage industry among athletes. Now, the business has grown so much, many top athletes have sponsorship deals with values that eclipse their actual playing contracts.

The advent of social media has added another layer to the celebrity endorsement landscape; one that is not always transparent. Celebrities seem to be flocking to Twitter especially to promote businesses, services and products in addition to their favorite charitable causes. These tweets are reaching millions of subscribers in some cases at the swipe of a finger. The practice has become familiar enough that you might now notice some celebrities attaching hash tags – such as #ad or #spon – and the end of their tweets to relate their paid aspect.

The real question is not, “When will celebrities stop endorsing products?” But rather, “Does the practice work?” With the overriding influence celebrities and athletes have over popular culture, the answer would almost certainly be yes, at least under certain conditions.

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