Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of celebrity’s poses on consumer attitudes towards the endorsement advertisement by drawing from perceptual fluency hypotheses.

Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 used a single-factor, two-condition (distinctive pose and casual pose) between-subject design. Both Study 2a and Study 2b employed a single-factor, two-condition (distinctive pose, casual pose) between-subject design and tested the mediator of pose matchiness. Study 3 employed a 2 (pose condition: distinctive, casual) × 2 (cognitive capacity: no load, load) between-subject design to test the moderator. All data were sourced from more than 600 respondents in China.

Findings – Study 1 illustrated that the existence of a distinctive pose can lead to higher consumer attitudes regarding advertising stimuli and the endorsed brands as well as more positive behavioural intentions towards endorsed products. Study 2a and Study 2b replicated such finding and demonstrated that the feeling of pose matchiness mediates the relationship between celebrities’ pose and endorsement outcomes. Study 3 further revealed that the cognitive capacity moderates such a relationship, that is, that the effect of a distinctive pose is stronger (lesser) when audiences’ cognitive capacity is loaded (not loaded).

Originality/value – Research efforts to date examining the nature of celebrity advertisement have been limited to celebrity’s faces and facial expressions. Little investigation in the marketing domain has considered the consequences of celebrities’ poses. This study takes the first step in revealing the positive effect of distinctive celebrity poses in product endorsement.