High street retailers continue to buy into 'celebrity' with ambassador appointments

Italian intimate apparel brand Intimissimi's signing of A-lister Jennifer Lopez as global brand ambassador is the latest in a string of celebrities that have signed to represent high street brands, including Adidas to Mango.

Intimissimi’s spring/summer 2023 campaign, which feature Lopez, celebrates women and empowers them to feel confident and valued in all the roles that they play. The company said that Lopez is the ultimate ambassador for Intimissimi as she portrays the dichotomy of modern women, communicating the brand’s core values that women are both 'strong' and 'sexy'.

Speaking about her appointment, Matteo Veronesi, Chief Executive Officer of Intimissimi, commented: "When looking for a brand partner who embodies the spirit of all our iconic customers, we immediately looked to Jennifer Lopez. We want women to live the most fulfilling life and feel empowered every day."

Naming a celebrity as the face of a consumer product is nothing new, whether it be Dior’s latest perfume or Calvin Klein’s newest pair of boxers. However, more and more high street retailers are turning to celebrities for endorsements.

In recent news, Adidas named American actress Jenna Ortega as its latest brand ambassador and the face of its new Sportswear label, the first in 50 years. Rather than opting for a sports player, with perhaps more relevance to the label, the company signed Jenna Ortega who recently starred in Netflix’s chart-topping series ‘Wednesday’.

Ortega joined the “Adidas family” for the ‘All That You Are’ campaign, which also includes Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min, Manchester City Women’s team forward Mary Fowler, Atlanta Hawks basketball player Trae Young and star of Twitch – the American video games live streaming service – Carolina Voltan.

Speaking about her appointment, Brian Grevy, Adidas Executive Board Member, said: “At Adidas, we're constantly looking at ways we can push the boundaries in both sport and culture, which is why it’s so exciting that we can announce Jenna Ortega has joined us.

"A progressive and passionate next generation pioneer that is making waves across the globe, her fresh and creative way of thinking is what we, as a brand, found ourselves on and continue to be inspired by."

Last month, Mango announced Alexia Putellas, the centre forward and captain of FC Barcelona and twice decorated world’s best female footballer, as its brand ambassador. The retailer approached Putellas with the aim to develop projects in the social sphere to "enact societal change" and levelling the playing field between men and women.

Similarly, Replay announced Marco Verratti, the midfielder for PSG and the Italian national team, as its newest ambassador earlier this year. Last year, footwear and apparel brand Skechers announced presenter and entrepreneur Myleene Klass as its latest UK and Ireland ambassador.

Whether it's a global superstar like Jennifer Lopez or a TV presenter like Myleene Klass, it's clear that high street retailers, similarly to luxury brands, aren't shying away from using a celebrity's following to garner sales and exposure - the bigger the celebrity, the bigger the reach?