AT&T and Luke Wilson?

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, your thoughts most likely all end with a big fat question mark. What? Really? Why? This was an odd match and, for me, didn't add much value and credibility to the AT&T brand. Case in point: AT&T's recent "rethink possible" ads run sans Luke Wilson. So, why didn't they just skip the celebrity endorsement altogether and put those advertising dollars to better use?

After all, celebrity endorsements are not always a sure-fire way to provide lift to a brand. In fact, there can be significant risks to this type of engagement. Sure the partnership could just be a bad fit, but celebrity endorsements also open brands up to the scrutiny that can come from being associated with a celebrity's snafu. Tiger Woods is a prime example of a celebrity whose endorsements have forced organizations to take a closer look at marketing and brand management practices.

For example, Woods' Buick endorsement from 2000-2007 was an unconvincing match and caused indifferent reactions from both external and internal audiences. Even GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz went on the record saying Woods did little to help boost Buick sales. In the end, Woods and Buick parted ways amicably, but the same has not been true for Woods' recent release from several sponsors. The negative press surrounding Woods has caused many brands to reevaluate the golf great as their endorser. Most notably, major brands such as Accenture TagHeuer and Gatorade have dropped him.

Despite the risks that may come with celebrity endorsements, there must be something about these deals that still have many companies paying big bucks to have famous faces linked to their brands. It seems a celebrity's star power is too compelling an offer to deny—the argument being if they can drive sales for movies, concerts, or sporting events, they can do so for brands as well. According to an article by CNN, a recent Harvard study of hundreds of athlete endorsements not only showed brand sales "jump an average 4 percent" in the first six months of a deal, but it also showed an increase in company stock price, especially after the initial endorsement announcement and following any positive press about the celebrity.

For the good and the bad, the celebrity endorsement remains a key marketing practice for many brands. What do you think of these recent celebrity-brand matchups? Why or why aren’t they effective?