"Live long and prosper," says Leonard Nimoy. It's easy to think that celebrity endorsements are a slam dunk with the cohort dubbed the "TV generation". Truth is, it's a tricky proposition. In this example from Dot Boom see how Aleve makes good use of this boomer icon to connect with them "where they are".
From Page 80
Leveraging Word of Mouth
Word of mouth and peer recommendations are the most effective consumer motivators across all age groups, and especially for boomers. Boomers say that advice from family and friends is the most common way they research a new product and they believe that word-of-mouth recommendations from their friends, family, and peers is the most trustworthy source of information.One simple way to leverage word of mouth is through the use of genuine, down-to-earth testimonials and user reviews on your website. In fact, during our usability testing at Immersion Active, we found that such reviews and testimonials are highly valued by mature users. Our participants consistently cite that Amazon.com reviews are influential sources for product information. Enabling consumers to talk about your brand and allowing them to see what their peers have to say are powerful ways to promote your products.
Likewise, boomers feel strongly that they must trust a company before they are willing to pass it on to their friends and families. And companies cannot ask for better qualified leads than those coming from trusting advocates. You can also increase the strength of your word-of-mouth recommendations by leveraging organizations that further validate the integrity of your company. Showing consumers that you are affiliated with trusted organizations such as the Better Business Bureau or a local Chamber of Commerce will boost the trustworthiness of your company in the mind of a boomer. The one incongruence in word-of-mouth marketing with boomer consumers is the effectiveness of celebrity spokespeople. While older people tend to be more sensitive to accepting or rejecting famous personalities, our research has shown that boomers do value and trust endorsements from celebrities relevant to their own generation (i.e., celebrities who are boomers or seniors themselves). However, such endorsements must be presented in an authentic manner. Consider Aleve's wonderful use of a famous personality:
A commercial for Aleve hurriedly opens with Leonard Nimoy, of Star Trek fame, walking through a backstage area talking on his phone: "Listen to me. You're my agent. You have to believe me. I can't do it. Why? Because it hurts!" Nimoy holds up his hand, fingers straight up with his palm facing the camera. Upon passing two younger fans who flash him the infamous Star Trek hand sign, he says, "I'm trying right now and it's not working. We'll have to cancel the date." He enters his dressing room, he sighs: "Aleve... Sure I'll try it."
Then, it fades to black. Nimoy walks onto a stage in front of an audience of anxious Trekkies. He holds his hand up, and with a triumphant burst of music, flashes the "live long and prosper" sign, fingers forming the "V" perfectly. As the audience goes wild, the narrator explains that, "Fortunately, just two Aleve have the strength to stop arthritis pain all day." The commercial simply ends with Nimoy reinforcing the tag line: "That's good news. That's Aleve."
