Clemson University TigerPrints All Theses Theses 5-2017 Effective Celebrity Endorsers: What Are the Rhetorical Factors? Christa Kettlewell Clemson University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses Recommended Citation Kettlewell, Christa, "Effective Celebrity Endorsers: What Are the Rhetorical Factors?" (2017). All Theses. 2645. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/2645 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. EFFECTIVE CELEBRITY ENDORSERS: WHAT ARE THE RHETORICAL FACTORS? A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Professional Communication by Christa Kettlewell May 2017 Accepted by: Dr. David Blakesley, Committee Chair Dr. Megan Eatman Dr. Sean Williams i ABSTRACT Celebrity endorsements are a common technique used in advertising. While many have studied this marketing tool and its effectiveness, a gap remains in the research regarding overall effectiveness in celebrity choice and advertisement composition in terms of rhetoric. Oftentimes, there is an assumption that celebrity endorsers hold the most power in creating purchase intentions, yet concepts related to rhetoric suggest that other elements play an active role in this as well. Consequently, this study adds to the conversation of celebrity endorsements by examining five beauty advertisements that utilize celebrity endorsements to better understand their overall visual rhetoric and, thus, how they persuade consumers. Links are made to persuasiveness in terms of identity, credibility, design, and branding.