Fictional characters who are typically thought to be ‘bad’ can be just as effective at endorsing products as the actors who portray them, according to new research from the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR). 

The authors attributed ‘certainty of meaning’ for some of their findings: the idea that consumers feel they know certain characters better than their real-world counterparts. It follows that characters are therefore better suited to endorsements that fit their fictional values than actors whose real motivations or desires are less well known. 

Why it matters

Using celebrities to advertise or endorse products is nothing new, but it’s...