Abstract
Stars have a magical aura in our society and they are prominent in every part of our culture. The concept of celebrities being present in every generation is nothing new. It began with the queen Nefertiti, Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, kings and queens, gladiators and army commanders, Olympic athletes, etc. Since the 60s, celebrities have taken different forms: singers, dancers, painters, actors, models, politicians, artists, etc.
The major concept is celebrity endorsement. Celebrity endorsement is defined as an "advertising which uses the credibility associated with a celebrity to carry the message. The greater the celebrity's influence on a particular target audience the greater the wish to mimic that celebrity", by Egan (1999). Marketers, companies and associations saw the power of such a strategy and such individuals and began to use it as an integrated tool in the communication and marketing campaigns. Hollywood celebrities are the ambassadors of non-profit organizations and charity events.
This paper will explain the role of celebrities in non-profit organizations and events. It will answer questions like "Do celebrities have an impact on donations?", "Do they take part by conviction or just for their image?", "Do charity events benefit from them?", etc.
