Celebrities all over the world, be they in music, movies, football or any other field, are looked up to by others as examples to be imitated.
Parents of little kids can attest that sometimes, they ask the kids to do something in a certain way and the child says they’d rather do it another way because that is what their teacher said or that is how the teacher does it.
Too often, people do things because a celebrity they love does same. They buy clothes, gadgets, accessories and other items because of the celebrity. They eat a type of food or take a drink because a celebrity does. They style their hair after celebrities and so on.
Celebrities wield huge commercial power. It is for this reason that brands pay heavily to have celebrities use their products or even pose beside them.
And when celebrities take action against a brand, their followers are bound to be on their side.
This was what played out recently with Juventus and Portuguese national team player, Cristiano Ronaldo.
He caused a stir recently when he removed two bottles of Coca-Cola placed before him at a pre-match press conference ahead of Portugal’s Euro 2020 group-stage clash against Hungary. He proceed to raise a bottle of water towards the press, gesturing to them to drink water instead.
The response from the public was spontaneous. A few hours after the it happened, the video garnered millions of views online and the numbers keep increasing.
That action reportedly caused the global beverage producer’s shares to dip from $242 billion to $238 billion – a colossal 1.6 per cent drop for the company on the stock market.
That is a whopping $4 billion loss as a result of one gesture by a celebrity.
Ronaldo, popularly called CR7 has received a lot of flak for his action. He has been accused of double standards, for playing in and making money off a sport supported by brands that he’d rather not be identified with.
Those who have followed Ronaldo’s career know that he follows a strict diet regimen which is responsible for his fitness and ability to continue to play football at his age.
The 36-year-old has never hidden his dislike for sugary soft drinks. He has openly said his eldest son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr likes fizzy drinks but he is not comfortable with it and tries to control the consumption.
He lives by a strict diet and exercise plan that restricts him to only the healthiest of foods and sugar is not one of them.
I, therefore, found it appalling that he was being accused of disrespect to sponsors of the tournament.
Some of these people have based their arguments on the fact that Ronaldo previously worked on advertising campaigns for Pepsi, Coca-Cola and other such brands whose products do not meet his health standards.
Pictures and videos of him in commercials for those companies surfaced online, expectedly, drawing mixed reactions from fans, some of who have said his actions at the different times were contradictory.
The way I see it, there is no contradiction. The fact that someone once endorsed a brand does not mean he should continue to do so even when his views have changed about it.
Here is a man who has been consistent about his disapproval of foods he tags as unhealthy, including sugary drinks which category the drinks he removed from the table fall into.
Here is a man who teaches his kids at home that taking sugar-laden drinks is not good for their health.
Those accusing Ronaldo have not paused to ponder the message he’d have sent if he left the drinks there or even sipped them. It would amount to an endorsement of the brands and he’ll still be accused of not practicing what he preaches.
As a healthy living enthusiast who ditched Coca-Cola and other similar drinks a long time ago, except for occasional indulgences, even though I’m no celebrity, I’ve been under scrutiny a few times by people I advice against consumption of such drinks when they saw me take same.
Ronaldo’s action should be a reminder to celebrities and other public figures of the influence they wield and how they impact the lives of others, especially millennials.
In Nigeria, the actions of our celebrities leave a lot to be desired, from their dressing, the controversies they get involved in, the lewd lyrics of their songs promoting social vices and do on.
Today, being generally unruly, not adhering to conventions is linked to followers of a certain new breed musician in Nigeria. His fans, mainly young people are in huge numbers. This is the influence he has on them.
The consciousness by celebrities that the things they get up to influence others shouldl guide their actions and utterances and be a constant reminder that they are being watched.
