Sydney Sweeney and Novig: celebrities become co-owners of brands

Fortinsky confirmed the details of the deal in a comment to Front Office Sports: the agreement on Sweeney's equity participation in Novig was initiated by the actress herself — and it happened before the ad campaign launched, not after its success.

What does this change in the market?

ADWEEK classifies the case as a symptom of a broader shift: celebrity endorsement is entering an "equity era." The format in which a star receives a fee for an advertising integration is giving way to a model where the celebrity becomes a co-owner of the business and shares its financial risks and upside.

For brands, the logic is transparent. A partner-shareholder:

• is personally invested in the commercial result, not just in the reach of a publication;
• is more deeply involved in the creative process — like Sweeney in the Novig case;
• cannot "jump to a competitor" for the next paycheck;
• brings their own audience into the deal as a long-term asset.

For celebrities, the model also changes the economics: instead of a one-time fee, a share in the company's value growth. Notably, in the Novig case, the initiative came from the actress herself — stars are increasingly seeking equity partnerships on their own rather than waiting for offers.

The flip side is reputational linkage. The criticism of the September campaign from female athletes was directed, among other things, at the face of the brand. When that face is a co-owner, controversial creative decisions hit harder: a shareholder is accountable for the product rather than merely "appearing in an ad."

Why does this matter for advertisers?

The Novig case sets a new standard for negotiations with top-tier stars. Celebrity agents will increasingly raise the issue of an equity stake as a condition for collaboration. Marketers should factor this into deal structures in advance — and prepare for the fact that a partner-shareholder will demand a voice in the creative, as happened with Novig.

ADWEEK's observation is part of the monthly Brand Advantage series, in which the publication's editors-in-chief interpret key events in the vertical and their implications for the industry. The editorial conclusion is laconic: the era of simple fees is ending, and the equity era has its own fine print — strings attached.