Which celebrities have 'strong appeal' to the 'yoof of today' and why? New ASA research may provide some answers.

  George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright and inventor of the hipster beard, is credited as saying “Youth is wasted on the young.” As Shaw lived until he was 94, almost everyone must have seemed younger than him eventually, so it's no wonder he came to regard the young as rather annoying. However, campaigners who see advertising as the cause of all societal ills strongly believe that youth is not wasted on advertisers, but exploited by them. 

One of the biggest challenges faced by our clients in the alcohol and gambling sectors in recent years has been the application of a stricter new test of celebrity youth appeal by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the sectors of alcohol and gambling advertising. Under the old test, the ASA asked whether a celebrity in an alcohol or gambling ad had particular appeal to the under 18's, i.e., did the celebrity appeal more to the under 18's than to adults? In recent years, however, the test has become whether the celebrity has strong appeal to 18's, so the issue of relativity has fallen away (although the particular appeal test still applies to non-broadcast alcohol ads). Cue some rather long-winded guidance from the ASA, and some confusingly conflicting decisions, whereby footballer Micah Richards (born 1988; retired 2019) does not have strong appeal to the young, but Gary Neville (born 1975; retired 2011) does, largely based on their different social media followings. Perhaps this is one for VAR?

The latest development is the publication by the ASA of a fascinating report about the appeal of personalities in advertising to 11-17-year olds.  It surveyed 1,687 young people.  The report provides valuable insights into how young people discover and interact with personalities that hold strong appeal to them, and the implications for advertising, especially in the context of ads for age-restricted products such as gambling.

Young people live in a digital-first media universe: social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram dominate their media consumption, with traditional television playing a minimal role. This shift has significant implications for advertisers, as young people are more likely to encounter and engage with personalities through digital channels. 

Young people feel a strong connection to a wide range of well-known personalities from the entertainment and sporting worlds. These personalities are omnipresent in their lives, and young people often know a great deal about them, following them on social media and sharing stories about them etc. They are not particularly interested in personalities from the area of traditional family entertainment. The ASA says that when it comes to describing their own media lives, “the TV set, for live viewing in the living room, is almost forgotten”. 

The study found that young people's sporting interests are diverse and influenced by family and school at a younger age, and friends, and social media as they get older. Popular sports include men's football, swimming, athletics and women's football. Formula 1, boxing and basketball also hold strong appeal. It is no surprise that the personalities they admire are often linked to these sports.  There are distinct gender differences too. As well as sports, almost all those surveyed had some interest in music, films/cinema and gaming, with substantial numbers interested in reading and creative activities.

Young people discover personalities through wider culture, word-of-mouth, and social media algorithms. The algorithm and content shared by friends online play a significant role in how they engage with these personalities. 

Drivers of appeal

The research identified three main attributes that drive the strong appeal of personalities among young people:

• Inspirational – demonstrating hard work and dedication to their craft;
• Authentic – being perceived as genuine and relatable; and
• Good values – considered to be positive role models.

These attributes are subjective and can vary widely among young people. However, they provide a framework for understanding what makes a personality appealing to this age group.

The report also highlights that there are other important issues to be considered when reflecting on whether a personality is likely to be engaging and/or strongly appealing to young people:

• Are they currently a part of wider popular culture discourse, e.g., do they feature regularly in the media, and do they have wide engagement on social media? 
• Were they ever top in their field? This is particularly important in the most mainstream sports.
• Are they considered an icon – via sport or even FIFA game/cards or similar?

What does this mean?

The research will help the ASA to strengthen its application of the CAP and BCAP Codes and to decide who has strong or particular appeal to children when considering the complaints about how age-restricted ads are targeted, especially gambling ads.

It is also helpful for advertisers, as it helps to understand the drivers of “appeal” and will help with more accurate targeting of ads.  In the past, the ASA has declined to uphold complaints that an ad has been poorly targeted when an advertiser has shown that it has taken appropriate steps to target its ads away from children. Therefore, understanding more of the drivers of appeal to children helps advertisers use the appropriate targeting tools and interests.

Having read the report and gained insights into celebrity culture in the lives of young people, one thing has become abundantly clear. GB Shaw was right. Youth is wasted on the young.