Real People, Not Actors

A celebrity endorsement is impressive, but a majority of people say that they’re more likely to buy a product if it is endorsed by a real person. This has implications for us as Christians.

Let’s say you’re watching Hulu and an annoying commercial pops up for mouthwash. The ad shows a woman leaning to pet her dog, and then the camera zooms in for a close-up of her teeth. Suddenly, we’re aware that this woman has bad breath and diseased gums.

Then, we also see in small print — but quite visible — “actor portrayal.”

Why do we see this message?

Because mouthwash companies have a hard time finding “real people” who use their mouthwash and are willing to go on TV with diseased and ugly gums. And the actors in these portrayals also want viewers to know, “Hey, I’m acting. I had to sit through two hours of makeup to look like this.”

You see this “actor portrayal” disclaimer in other ads, too, like promos for feminine hygiene products, shoe inserts, male performance problems, foot fungus powders, and medications for a host of embarrassing health problems. Real people are not going to line up...