Authenticity: celebrities and the brands they endorse

ROS Research LLC Finds that mobile service provider advertisements are mostly driven by their users.

New ROS Research LLC study of 992 American adults shows America’s opinions about celebrities and their relationships with wireless providers.

Santa Monica, CA, Apr 29, 2026 — ROS Research LLC, a leading primary research firm specializing in workforce and healthcare intelligence, released today the findings from its national study on celebrities and the brands they advertise. This study was fielded from February 6 to March 23, 2026, with a total of 992 respondents and delivers a view into the market’s opinions on the celebrities who advertise cell phone companies.

Key Findings

• 89% of category advertisement recall is centered around three carriers, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile – Verizon marginally edged AT&T as the carrier with the highest recall while one in every four respondents recalled seeing or hearing any ads for T-Mobile.
• Nine in ten respondents considered themselves to be a fan of at least one of the celebrity spokespersons under study – Kevin Hart was the most liked spokesperson with 82% of total mentions. Luke Wilson came in a close second with 72% of total mentions.
• 78% of the market could identify at least one brand ambassador on an unaided basis — Kevin Hart led all celebrities tested with 69% correct brand recall.
• 63% of Americans agreed that celebrities who partner with cell phone carriers do so because they believe in the brand — Luke Wilson was considered the most authentic celebrity, with 89% of the market agreeing that his partnership is not solely financial based.

Main Findings

The results highlight considerable churn in the U.S. wireless market, with most consumers having used multiple carriers before settling on their current provider. Notably, about a quarter of Verizon, AT&T, and Mint Mobile’s current users previously subscribed to T-Mobile. Similarly, a quarter of current T-Mobile users are former Mint Mobile customers, which is not surprising given that Mint Mobile operates on T-Mobile’s network. This pattern suggests that while switching is common, it often occurs within a familiar set of options.

Despite the turnover, advertising appears to function primarily as a retention tool rather than an acquisition driver. At least 90% of ad recall for each provider comes from its own subscribers, indicating that campaigns mostly serve to reinforce existing brand relationships rather than persuading competitors’ customers to switch. This suggests that carriers need to provide a highly distinctive offer or compelling value proposition to attract new consumers.

Celebrity endorsements show relatively strong performance in terms of memorability, with nearly 80% of respondents correctly matching at least one celebrity to the brand they represent on both an unaided and aided basis. However, effectiveness varies considerably. Kevin Hart achieves the highest recall, likely due to both his broad appeal and association with a major carrier’s extensive media presence. In contrast, Ted Danson and Mike Rowe show lower recall levels, which may be less about the celebrities themselves and more about the smaller scale and reach of the brands they represent.

Overall, the findings suggest that while the wireless market is highly fluid, it is also difficult to influence through conventional advertising. Meaningful customer acquisition requires either disruptive pricing, differentiated service offerings, or strategic timing around key switching moments, rather than relying solely on brand awareness campaigns.

About the Study

The ROS Research LLC Authenticity: Celebrities and the Brands They Endorse surveyed 992 U.S. adults between February 6 and March 23, 2026. Participants were U.S. adults aged 18 and older, with results reflecting natural sample fallout over the study period.

About ROS Research LLC

ROS Research LLC is a primary research firm dedicated to delivering original, data-driven intelligence on the topics that matter most to today’s businesses. Unlike firms that rely on secondary sources, ROS Research LLC generates insights directly from the people who matter — professionals, patients, physicians, and decision-makers across industries. For more information, visit rosresearch.com.