Unexpected Celebrity Endorsements Have Earned These 3 Brands Millions

“These scans can really give tremendous peace of mind,” Andrew Lacy, Prenuvo’s CEO told me over Zoom. “It’s not always the life-saving diagnosis. It’s sometimes the clean bill of health that really is the most meaningful. [A customer]

wrote a letter to me saying, ‘You have no idea how just knowing this has affected positively my relationship with my partner, with my kids, with my own body.’”

Prenuvo’s origin story came from Lacy’s own confrontation with mortality. “I woke up one day after having done three startups with some level of success and I wanted to do another one,” he reflected. “I remember looking in the mirror and just saying, ‘Holy cow, I’ve abused my body so horribly. I’m stressed. I’m overworked. I don’t sleep enough. I don’t exercise enough. And we do all this to build this future, right? Well, how do I know I’m not going to die next year and not even be a part of this future I’m investing so much of my life in building?’”

That same week, he took his car to a repair shop and received a 30-page diagnostic report: oil leaks, brake wear, transmission issues. “Why on earth do I have such information about this vehicle that if it breaks down, I can always buy a new one, but I don’t have any of this information about my body, which if it breaks down, I’m dead?”

This was the aha moment behind Prenuvo, a company attracting a roster of high-profile advocates sharing stories of early detection and peace of mind. Maria Menounos credits Prenuvo for detecting her stage 2 pancreatic cancer early enough to avoid chemotherapy after doctors couldn’t explain her symptoms. Paris Hilton’s 2022 social media post after her own scan generated over 231,000 likes, while supermodel Cindy Crawford became both user and investor. More than 500 celebrity endorsements now amplify Prenuvo’s message of early detection.

“We decided to just provide a great medical service and rely on word of mouth almost exclusively to grow,” Lacy said. “And that’s been such an important part. It’s nice because it aligns the organization. We only grow as fast as our ability to deliver a great product for a great service.”

Prenuvo did $100 million in revenue last year, serving 110,000 members across 17 centers, with 15 more in development. A $120 million Series B in early 2025 is funding expansion into Europe and Australia, while its AI team builds predictive models to detect conditions like dementia decades before symptoms appear. Lacy added, “All these things are designed to really help us get not 5 years ahead, not 10 years ahead—20 potentially even more years ahead of a potential dementia diagnosis.”

This early warning system enables lifestyle interventions when they can still make a difference. Rather than waiting for memory problems, Prenuvo identifies brain changes predicting cognitive decline years ahead. And in my case, spinal degeneration suggesting future mobility issues if I don’t make some adjustments now.

“There’s something about seeing the pictures of it,” Lacy marveled. “How your lifestyle is impacting your body. That’s a huge catalyst for change. We can start to show you the atrophy, but not at a time where it’s scary; at a time where it’s empowering, when you can do something about it.”

When Celebrity Endorsements Validate Technology: FlexBeam’s Athlete-Tested Edge

“We have two of Norway’s biggest superstars globally. Tennis player Casper Ruud, who’s been in the top 10 and was a US Open finalist, and soccer player Martin Ødegaard, captain of Arsenal. Both guys joined after trying the product, invested into the company, and agreed to become brand ambassadors for a pittance to let us use their brand, basically to build the story of how this is so powerful for everyone.”

Bjørn Ekeberg, CEO and co-founder of Recharge Health, maker of FlexBeam, was describing the brand’s celebrity endorsements as we spoke over Zoom. Meanwhile, my own FlexBeam device was strapped to my back, addressing pain from spinal issues my Prenuvo scan identified. That, and the neck and shoulder tension I’d awoken to, apparently after losing a nocturnal jiu jitsu battle with my pillow. Ten minutes into our call, the targeted red-light therapy was already reducing my muscle tightness, delivering red and near-infrared light two to three inches deep into tissue.

“The core mechanism stimulates mitochondria in your cells to produce more energy at the cellular level,” Ekeberg explained. “The near infrared light is converted into energy so cells can accelerate the process they’re already doing.” Stimulated mitochondria generate more ATP, while improved circulation increases blood flow and oxygenation. As a downstream effect, pain-soothing hormones are released into the bloodstream.

“The vision we started with was the realization that you can empower your body to heal itself,” Ekeberg continued. “When we set out to build this, it was not as a magic wand that fixes you but understanding that this is the way to empower you to take better care of your health.”

That vision reached Bryan Johnson, the tech entrepreneur whose extreme anti-aging regimen has become well known. “We have Bryan Johnson with us as an ambassador for this product since 2023, and his authority and credibility in the longevity space has been crucial for us in the US,” Ekeberg acknowledged.

Johnson’s informal partnership has helped Recharge Health penetrate the American market, where biohacking and longevity optimization interests far exceed other markets. He routinely measures biological markers and recovery metrics, immediately removing devices not showing any objective value. That FlexBeam has earned a permanent place in his protocol means the device clearly delivers on promise.

“This is not just for top performance athletes,” Ekeberg added. “But they convey the story it works; that you can use it to become better at what you do, even if you are not necessarily a high performer. If it works for them, it will work for everyone.”

When Celebrity Endorsements Power Stress Recovery: PRS Guitars’ Musical Medicine

“My guitar is my best lover, ever,” Carlos Santana told the Associated Press in 2023. “Lovers come and go, but your relationship with the guitar stays. When you put your fingers on that note, you get chills. That’s the best lover.”

Santana is why PRS Guitars exists today, a consequence of a very determined founder, Paul Reed Smith, who originally faked his way backstage at Maryland’s Capital Center to give his handcrafted guitar to the legendary singer.

“He would tell security, ‘I have this guitar for Carlos and I’ve got to get it to him right away!’” Jack Higginbotham, chief operating officer at PRS Guitars told me over Zoom. After bolting past security, Smith reached Santana, who examined the guitar, called it good, then demanded another—he didn’t trust some backstage crasher. When Smith returned with the same quality, Santana knew he’d found someone special and would go on to appear in PRS Guitars early promotional materials, cementing the company’s first celebrity endorsement.

While Prenuvo diagnoses and FlexBeam treats, PRS Guitars offers something less clinical but every bit as essential. Research shows guitar playing reduces cortisol levels symptomatic of high stress while releasing dopamine. The practice requires focused attention, naturally inducing mindfulness and reducing intrusive thoughts – such as if you’ll meet quarterly revenue targets.

“When I really go into a world of music, I am not aware of anything around me,” Higginbottom mused. “It is total. It’s like intense meditation. I am a hundred percent focused inside of what is going on.”

After his own failed record deal collapsed at age 23, Higginbotham joined Smith’s fledgling company for $4 an hour, eventually learning from Smith how to “make chips,” the company’s euphemism for guitar-making. Four decades later, he credits Santana’s endorsement as the catalyst for the company’s current roster of over 600 artists who rely on PRS Guitars uncompromising standards. That roster now includes Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Mark Tremonti, Solomon Kola for Nigerian star Burna Boy, and Kiki Wong of Smashing Pumpkins.

“We deal with what we call ‘signature artists.’ That means we are making a guitar specifically for an artist with their collaboration or direction,” Higginbotham said. “We will design almost anything a client wants as long as it doesn’t break our rules of what a good guitar is.”

Of course, the company’s growth hasn’t entirely been from celebrity endorsements. “What we do is try to build the very best instruments that we can. That’s almost the end of the business plan.”

This obsessive dedication to R&D focuses on building exceptional guitars across all price points. A stressed executive wanting to relax by reigniting youthful garage band aspirations might start with a $500 model for their new hobby, only to discover its impressive quality inspires fantasies of a different kind of keynote on another type of stage.

“I can have a really bad day, and I can go to an instrument—it can be a guitar, I play piano, I play different things—and it will heal me,” Higginbotham shared. “I will come out with life more in perspective.”

When Celebrity Endorsements Helps CMOs: Five Takeaways

The pursuit of luxury is often a personal quest, but no amount of money can buy good health or the unexpected celebrity endorsement. It must be earned by meeting or exceeding customer expectation at all turns. While this seems obvious, online reviews are littered with stories of companies who missed the memo. For CEOs and CMOs alike, build something so inherently valuable the most influential people in your category can’t help but talk about it. Here’s how to do it.

1. Authentic Celebrity Partnerships Require Mutual Value Creation
   Martin Ødegaard and Casper Ruud became FlexBeam investors and ambassadors after confirming undeniably the product worked. Their experience altered their customer journey from consumers to stakeholders who recognized FlexBeam’s potential in the same way Cindy Crawford went from Prenuvo user to investor. Likewise, Carlos Santana appeared in early PRS Guitars advertisements because the instruments elevated his musical expression. Endorsements endure when both sides gain more than financial compensation.
2. Product Excellence Precedes Celebrity Attention
   Prenuvo invested in AI diagnostic capabilities; FlexBeam focused on targeted wavelength precision; PRS Guitars obsessed over craftsmanship. Each company prioritized product development over promotional strategy, with celebrity endorsement becoming the natural outcome. Too often, marketing chases influencers while product teams struggle with quality. Reverse the order.
3. Word-of-Mouth Scales When Products Deliver Transformational Results
   Prenuvo resisted splashy ad campaigns while building a new category, generating $100 million in revenue almost entirely through referrals. FlexBeam gained athlete endorsements after proving fast recovery was possible for people with limited recovery time. Align your business around delivering value first, amplification second. Exceptional performance is the single most effective inspiration for organic advocacy.
4. Niche Expertise Attracts Broader Markets
   All three companies began by serving focused audiences: Prenuvo targeted consumers who weren’t entirely convinced by their doctor’s diagnosis; FlexBeam showed elite athletes a faster way to get back into the game; and PRS Guitars showed professional musicians just how much their unique sound depends on their instrument’s quality. Early celebrity validation within those niches gave each credibility to expand outward. Mainstream adoption comes faster when you begin by being the very best in a specific niche.
5. Solve Urgent Problems Traditional Solutions Ignore
   Prenuvo addressed the gap between basic checkups and advanced diagnostics, allowing for Maria Menounos’s pancreatic cancer detection. FlexBeam solved recovery challenges for time-constrained professionals, leading to Johnson’s well-documented recovery optimization protocol. PRS Guitars created instruments meeting artist specifications in a way other manufacturers couldn’t deliver, gaining Carlos Santana as an early advocate. These are problem-solving testimonials. Celebrities evangelize companies when something fixes a personal frustration.

We now live in an attention economy where paid celebrity endorsements saturate social feeds. But paying famous people to promote products they don’t actually use is under greater scrutiny by savvy consumers. Prenuvo, FlexBeam, and PRS Guitars earned their way into consumer trust by prioritizing product excellence over promotional strategy and allowed celebrities to fill the gap. The ROI comparison between satisfied celebrity users and paid partnerships isn’t even close. The final takeaway here is not to chase influence. Chase impact. Solve real pain points, and advocacy—whether from everyday customers or global icons—will naturally follow.