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Some say that art theft is only a little younger than art itself. Art theft was surely known in ancient times. A recent reminder of this truth is the discovery in Egypt's Valley of the Kings of many chambers at the tomb of the sons of Ramses II. Earlier archaeologists had not gone beyond the first chambers which were ransacked in antiquity. We know that theft is older than the Ten Commandments. It is also true that decrying or prohibiting theft and art theft docs not help enough, and that it is always with us.

Drawing on research in the worlds of advertising, magazines and fashion, this paper discusses how celebrities mediate between different fields of cultural production. By focusing on celebrity endorsements in advertising, it also outlines how film actors and actresses, athletes, models, pop singers, sportsmen and women mediate between producers and consumers via the products and services that they endorse. As economic mediators, celebrities’ actions have important strategic and financial implications for the corporations whose products they endorse. As cultural mediators, they give commodities personalities and perform across different media, linking different cultural fields into an integrated name economy.