Celebrity Endorsement Examples That Worked – and Why

Cover: Celebrity Endorsement Examples That Worked

The celebrity endorsements that work share four traits: a natural fit between the person and the product, a role that goes beyond holding up a logo, a willingness to play with the celebrity’s own image, and time – the strongest partnerships last for years, sometimes decades. From Michael Jordan and Nike to George Clooney and Nespresso, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Volvo Trucks, and Carolina Gynning and Bagliora in Sweden, the examples below show what makes a famous face drive real results. Heading into 2027, the formula is shifting toward co-ownership, multi-generational ambassadors and social-first content – and toward full transparency.

Recognisable faces matter more as feeds fill with synthetic content and scams. According to Svenskarna och internet 2025, six in ten Swedes have seen a scam ad on social media in the past year, and fake use of celebrities is one of the most common signs people recognise them by. Genuine, clearly labelled celebrity partnerships stand out against that background.

Which celebrity endorsement examples have worked best?

Michael Jordan and Nike: what happens when an endorsement becomes a brand?

The partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike grew from a shoe endorsement into a brand of its own. The Jordan Brand reported revenues of 7.27 billion dollars in Nike’s fiscal 2025, according to Nike’s annual report – down 16 percent from the year before, which also shows that even the strongest celebrity brands depend on product and market cycles.

Why it worked: the athlete was not just a face, but the reason the product existed. Performance, style and story were the same thing.

George Clooney and Nespresso: why does a long-running partnership pay off?

George Clooney has partnered with Nespresso since 2006, in a self-aware campaign built around the line “What else?”. This spring, Nespresso added Dua Lipa as a second global ambassador to reach younger audiences while keeping Clooney for heritage. According to Marketing Brew, the new campaign came with a 30 to 40 percent increase in brand spending and produced record landing-page views from new prospects.

Why it worked: consistency over time turned a celebrity into a brand asset – and the dual-ambassador model shows how to renew it for a new generation.

Jean-Claude Van Damme and Volvo Trucks: can a B2B brand use a celebrity?

In 2013, Volvo Trucks let Jean-Claude Van Damme perform a split between two reversing trucks to demonstrate the precision of its dynamic steering. According to Volvo Trucks, “The Epic Split” passed 73 million YouTube views, the full Live Test series exceeded 100 million views and was shared nearly 8 million times, and earned media was estimated at 126 million euros. Almost half of truck buyers who had seen the videos said they were more likely to choose Volvo next time, and the campaign won two Grand Prix at Cannes Lions.

Why it worked: the celebrity was used to prove a product feature, not just to attract attention.

Ryan Reynolds and Mint Mobile: what happens when the celebrity is also an owner?

Ryan Reynolds was both part-owner and the face of Mint Mobile’s humorous, low-budget ads. In 2023, T-Mobile agreed to acquire Mint’s parent company for up to 1.35 billion dollars, and TechCrunch reported that Reynolds would continue in his creative role and keep appearing in commercials.

Why it worked: ownership gave the celebrity a real stake in the brand’s success, which made the ads more credible and more personal.

Michael Cera and CeraVe: how far can self-irony go?

CeraVe and Ogilvy PR New York built a weeks-long online mystery around actor Michael Cera seemingly claiming to have founded the skincare brand, before a Super Bowl spot revealed the joke. According to Contagious, the campaign earned 32 billion impressions and a 25 percent increase in sales, and it won the Social & Influencer Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2024.

Why it worked: the celebrity was in on the joke, and the joke carried the product message about dermatologist-developed skincare.

Which Swedish celebrity campaigns show the same patterns?

Collabri works with well-known Swedish personalities every day, and the same principles apply in the Nordic market.

Bagliora and Carolina Gynning: a long-term ambassadorship rather than one-off posts, which coincided with the brand’s strongest year in sales and engagement.
Chilli and Carolina Gynning: a sofa collection launched with an event – a celebrity as co-creator and product partner, not just a face in an ad.
Coca-Cola Loves Tacos: well-known duos – Pernilla Wahlgren and Sofia Wistam, Carolina Gynning and Carina Berg, and Mia Skäringer and Sanna Persson – whose chemistry helped the activation reach more than 4.5 million views and 6,300 interactions.
Amazon “Summer Hero”: Marko “Markoolio” Lehtosalo used his reach to honour local hero Jocke Sundqvist in Nacka – a celebrity lending his platform to someone else’s story.

Why do some celebrity endorsements work – and others fail?

Is there a genuine fit?

The audience must be able to believe that the person would actually use or care about the product. Jordan and basketball shoes, Clooney and the art of a good coffee moment – the fit does half the work.

Does the celebrity have a real role?

The best examples give the celebrity something to do: prove a feature, co-create a product, own part of the brand or tell a story. A face next to a packshot is easily forgotten.

Is the partnership given time?

Clooney, Jordan and Bagliora show that familiarity builds over years. Short campaigns can create attention, but long partnerships create association.

Is the risk managed?

A celebrity’s reputation becomes part of the brand. Agree on values, exclusivity, approval rights and how to handle crises before the campaign starts – and make sure every post is clearly labelled as advertising. In Sweden, Konsumentverket stresses that the brand has the main responsibility for correct labelling.

What changes in celebrity endorsements toward 2027?

From endorser to co-owner and co-creator. Mint Mobile, Jordan and Chilli’s sofa collection point the same way: celebrities increasingly want product input or ownership, not just a fee.
Dual ambassadors across generations. Nespresso’s pairing of Clooney and Dua Lipa shows how brands can keep heritage while reaching younger audiences.
Social-first celebrity content. Celebrities now act as creators on their own channels. CreatorIQ reports that creator content makes up 44 percent of brands’ paid media creative on average, so celebrity content should be planned for paid amplification from day one.
Protecting the real face. With celebrity likenesses misused in scam ads and AI able to recreate voices and faces, consent and disclosure become essential. The EU AI Act’s transparency rules apply from August this year, with the final requirements on watermark detection following on 2 February 2027.
Tighter disclosure rules. In an EU-wide sweep, only one in five influencers systematically disclosed commercial content. Expect closer scrutiny of celebrity posts too.

Key takeaways

The best celebrity endorsements combine genuine fit, a real role, self-irony and time.
Celebrities can prove a product feature, co-create products or carry a story – not just attract attention.
Long-term partnerships like Nespresso and Clooney build lasting brand association.
In Sweden, partnerships such as Bagliora and Carolina Gynning show the same effect on a local scale.
Prepare for 2027: co-ownership, dual ambassadors, social-first content, AI consent and stricter disclosure.

Frequently asked questions

What is a celebrity endorsement?

A celebrity endorsement is a paid partnership where a well-known person recommends or represents a brand – in ads, on social media, at events or as a long-term ambassador.

What is the most famous celebrity endorsement?

Michael Jordan and Nike is often cited as the most successful example. The partnership grew into the Jordan Brand, which reported 7.27 billion dollars in revenue in Nike’s fiscal 2025.

Do celebrity endorsements still work on social media?

Yes, when the celebrity meets the platform on its terms. Michael CeraVe and Coca-Cola Loves Tacos show that self-irony, chemistry and everyday situations work far better than a scripted read.

How do you choose the right celebrity for a brand?

Start with fit and values, then look at audience, reach and the role the person can play. Agree on exclusivity, usage rights and labelling before the campaign starts, and plan for a longer partnership if you want lasting effect.

Want to work with Sweden’s best-known personalities in a partnership that lasts? Contact Collabri at info@collabri.se. You can also browse our talents and client projects.

Sources

Internetstiftelsen – Svenskarna och internet 2025: Annonsbedrägerier (2025): https://svenskarnaochinternet.se/rapporter/svenskarna-och-internet-2025/annonsbedragerier/
NIKE, Inc. – Form 10-K for fiscal year ended May 31, 2025 (2025): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320187/000032018725000047/nke-20250531.htm
Marketing Brew – Inside Nespresso’s dual-ambassador strategy (2026): https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/nespresso-dual-ambassador-strategy-dua-lipa-george-clooney
Volvo Trucks (Cision) – Epic triumph for Volvo Trucks’ campaign at Cannes Lions (2014): https://news.cision.com/volvo-trucks/r/epic-triumph-for-volvo-trucks--campaign-at-cannes-lions,c9604614
TechCrunch – T-Mobile to acquire Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile in $1.35 billion deal (2023): https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/15/t-mobile-to-acquire-ryan-reynolds-mint-mobile-in-1-35-billion-deal
Contagious – Cannes Lions 2024: Social & Influencer winners (2024): https://www.contagious.com/en/article/news-and-views/cannes-lions-2024-social-influencer-winners
Ogilvy – Ogilvy Wins Grand Prix for CeraVe’s ‘Michael CeraVe’ and JCDecaux’s ‘Meet Marina Prieto’ (2024): https://www.ogilvy.com/ideas/ogilvy-wins-grand-prix-ceraves-michael-cerave-jcdecauxs-meet-marina-prieto
Konsumentverket – Influencers reklaminlägg – regler för företag: https://www.konsumentverket.se/marknadsratt-foretag/influencers-reklaminlagg-regler-for-foretag/
CreatorIQ – Creator Content Now Powers 44% of Paid Media Creative (2026): https://www.creatoriq.com/press/releases/creator-powered-funnel-report-2026
Paul, Weiss – EU Finalises Transparency Rules for AI-Generated Content (2026): https://www.paulweiss.com/insights/client-memos/eu-finalises-transparency-rules-for-ai-generated-content
Law Society Gazette Ireland – Influencers face probes after EU-wide sweep (2024): https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-stories/2024/february/influencers-face-probes-after-eu-wide-sweep

This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by Collabri.