Celebrity endorsements are a perennially popular feature of advertising campaigns.
From Clement Freud appearing in the ad for Minced Morsels to the latest Morrisons commercials, famous faces have typically been used to instil consumer confidence in a brand - notably Bernard Matthews insisting "my turkeys are safe to eat".
In an attempt to build subscriptions and strengthen brand image, the latest campaign for Sky HD, which first aired on 6 July, features famous faces, such as actor Sir Anthony Hopkins.
The ads featuring Hopkins promote Sky Movies in high definition, available via Sky+ HD.
Sitting on a chair in a sparsely furnished room, Hopkins regales viewers with his recollection of memorable scenes from movies including Blade Runner, The Shining and Rocky.
Sky's enhanced viewing offer is alluded to throughout the ad - from Hopkins noting that "some moments in movies stay with us forever" to the line at the end of the ad, stating "the moments you love deserve high definition".
BrandIndex shows how perception of the Sky brand has improved following the launch of the campaign.
When the ads first aired, the buzz, corporate reputation and recommend scores for Sky were +5, +34 and +35 respectively.
Although there has not been a big shift in Sky's buzz rating, which peaked at +7 on 17 July, the other indicators have risen strongly.
Most notably, Sky's corporate score jumped from +34 to +39 one day after the ad first aired.
However, the big story is the improvement in Sky's recommend scores, which peaked at +43 - up an impressive eight points in just two days.
Since 1 June, when Sky's recommend scores were +26, the recommend ratings have steadily improved, hitting +40 at the end of July.
Following the start of the lucrative football season this month, Sky has managed to reach a very strong position at the right time.
The subscription broadcaster will hope to maintain this performance over the coming months, retaining customers in the process.
By Richard Wood
www.brandindex.co.uk