Pop culture is going to eat itself. According to a study on nutritional value of food and drinks, celebrities with teenage fanbases are more likely to be sources of food endorsements that are unhealthy.
Brands everywhere would need to rely on celebrity endorsements to advertise their products. They specifically aim their commercials at children and teens. However, recent studies show that these brand carriers are promoters of unhealthy foods.
The study done by NYU Langone Medical Center researchers looked into the endorsements of high profile celebrities such as Beyonce, Justine Timberlake and many more. In the study, they measured the "healthfulness" of the products that are being marketed by these celebrities.
Using the Rayner model developed by Mike Rayner from Oxford University, the team was able to create an effective metric in studying nutrition. The lead author, Marie Bragg, says that their study lists Red Bull, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Doritos and McDonalds as the top unhealthy foods being advertised by Baauer, Will.I.Am, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and many more, as reported by Irish Times.
The study associates the popularity of these celebrities' advertisements to the amount of "bad nutrients" as scores. The study now poses questions whether kids eat more when they see these types of commercials. Following marketing strategies, it is not clear how far and deep the influence of these celebrities go when it comes to unhealthy food.
But when it comes to celebrities and food and drink companies, using celebrities for brand endorsement is essential to brand loyalty. While it does not necessarily mean that it influences consumer brand loyalty, celebrity endorsements are considered to be a powerful tool that magnifies their campaign, as reported by Forbes.
When viewers and fans have positive feelings towards a particular celebrity, it grabs their attention right away.
Watch this TED MED clip below for more information about why people won't stop eating unhealthy food:
