How Celebrities Can Shift Demand: Beckham, Ronaldo and Brand Image

Brands use celebrities because they hope famous people will make their products seem more desirable. A celebrity can make a product look stylish, fashionable or aspirational. But celebrity influence can also work the other way. A public figure can damage a brand’s image or make consumers think differently about a product.

Two useful examples are David Beckham and Tudor watches, and Cristiano Ronaldo and Coca-Cola.

Example 1: David Beckham and Tudor watches

David Beckham is a Tudor watch ambassador. Tudor presents him as part of the brand’s image and identity.

This matters because luxury watches are not bought simply to tell the time. Most people already have a phone for that. A luxury watch is partly about style, status and identity.

So when Beckham wears a Tudor watch in public, the brand gets attention. At Wimbledon 2026, Business Insider reported that Beckham wore a steel Tudor Black Bay 58.

For an economics student, this is a useful example of how celebrity endorsement can shift demand.

The product itself has not changed. The watch has not become more accurate because Beckham wore it. But consumer perception may change. Some consumers may see the brand as more stylish or aspirational. If that happens, demand for Tudor watches may increase.

In a demand and supply diagram, this would be shown by the demand curve shifting to the right.

Example 2: Cristiano Ronaldo and Coca-Cola

Celebrity influence can also work against a brand.

In June 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo moved two Coca-Cola bottles away from him at a Euro 2020 press conference. He then held up water and said “Agua”, meaning water.

For Coca-Cola, the problem was not just that the bottles were moved. The problem was the message.

Ronaldo is strongly associated with fitness, discipline and elite sport. So when he appeared to choose water over Coca-Cola, the public message was powerful. It suggested that water was the healthier choice.

This could weaken Coca-Cola’s brand image, especially among consumers already concerned about sugar and health. If consumers become less attracted to the product, demand may fall. In a diagram, this would be shown by the demand curve shifting left.

The evaluation point: be careful

Students need to be careful here.

It would be too simple to say that Ronaldo definitely caused demand for Coca-Cola to fall. Demand depends on many factors, including price, income, advertising, brand loyalty, availability, substitutes and wider health trends.

Reuters later reported that Coca-Cola’s chief financial officer said the company had not seen a direct sales impact from Ronaldo’s action.

That actually makes the example more useful. It gives students an evaluation point.

A strong answer might say:

Ronaldo’s action may have affected Coca-Cola’s brand image, but it is difficult to prove a direct impact on sales because Coca-Cola is a global brand and demand is influenced by many factors at the same time.

That is the key lesson.

Celebrities do not control demand. But they can influence how consumers think about products. And in markets where image, identity and lifestyle matter, that can be very powerful.