There was a time when celebrity endorsements were relegated to the country's biggest brands.

Michael Jackson danced for Pepsi. Michael Jordan dunked wearing Nike's Air Jordans.

But today, more regional brands are getting into the celebrity game.

Case in point: Hy-Vee, the West Des Moines-based grocery chain, has increasingly turned to star-power in recent years, signing marketing deals with some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports.

It began locally, in the lead-up to the 2008 Olympics, when Hy-Vee sponsored Iowan Shawn Johnson's national competition as she prepared to compete in Beijing.

Since then, Hy-Vee has forged additional partnerships with celebrity chef Curtis Stone, actor Mark Wahlberg and entertainment entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey.

Most recently, Hy-Vee announced its biggest partnership yet: A three-year contract with Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes.

The deal comes with commercials, sale of Mahomes’ apparel in stores, exclusive product branding and social media postings.

So why is a Midwest grocery store chain turning to celebrity endorsements?

Consumers are less likely to pay attention to traditional advertising methods today than they were in the past, marketing experts say. At the same time they dealing with more information coming at them through social media.

► MORE:Hy-Vee is opening new concept stores across Des Moines

As a result, more companies are turning to "influencer" marketing to reach targeted audiences.

“There’s no doubt the use of celebrity can increase awareness for your own brand," said Donna Tweeten, chief marketing officer and chief customer officer for Hy-Vee. "We’re very well aware of the impacts celebrity can have, especially on younger generations and millennials."

How did Hy-Vee draft Patrick Mahomes?

It’s a partnership born out of Midwest pride.

Hy-Vee, which has nearly 20 stores in the Kansas City area, sponsored the Kansas City Chiefs football team since 2009. The partnership has included stadium advertisements, commercials, billboards, philanthropic efforts and in-store sales.

When Mahomes came along, Tweeten said Hy-Vee saw not only a star athlete — he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2018, his first year as a starter — but someone who fit with the company’s branding and values.

“The fundamentals of the brand and the character of the individual have got to be aligned or it just doesn’t make sense,” she said.

Hy-Vee has created several programs aimed at helping customers make more healthy food choices in recent years.

The company has hired dietitians to work in its stores. It launched 10-week lifestyle management programs emphasizing eating for good health, weight loss and being physically active. And its Healthy You Mobile provides health screenings for customers.

Earlier this year, Mahomes launched 15 and The Mahomies, a foundation “dedicated to improving the lives of children by supporting initiatives that focus on health, wellness and communities in need of resources.”

“What we took note of was how exceptional he was off the field,” she said.

The mutual focus on health and Mahomes' popularity in one of the company's biggest markets — and where Hy-Vee already had an existing relationship with the Chiefs — made it a match, Tweeten said.

“It seemed like the next natural progression in sponsorships and partnerships with professional teams now, to move on to evolving with a professional athlete,” Tweeten said.

Growing influence of influencers

Celebrity marketing is nothing new.

It's been around since the 1770s when Josiah Wedgwood and Sons began paying members of the British royal family to endorse the company's pottery and chinaware.

But in a time when consumers’ attention is being pulled every direction, celebrity influencers are becoming more popular marketing tools, said Huifang Mao, associate professor of marketing at Iowa State University.

Think Matthew McConaughey and Lincoln or Britney Spears and Pepsi.

Celebrity endorsers provide “stopping power,” Mao said.

HY-VEE'S CELEBRITY DEALS:

Because consumers are so used to glazing over commercials and advertisements, they get very little attention. But if there’s a celebrity someone likes, they’re more likely to actually stop and view the ad, she said.

“I think that’s why Hy-Vee is interested in working with someone like Patrick Mahomes, because, especially in the Midwest, he’s popular,” Mao said. “People like him and that will lead them to pay attention to Hy-Vee as well.”

In the past, grocery stores focused their marketing efforts on “everyday low prices,” said Phil Lempert, a food marketing expert based out of Los Angeles. Priority was placed on coupons in newspapers and mailing deals from local stores to nearby neighborhoods.

Now, instead of price, it’s about building relationships with customers and making them lifelong consumers, he said.

“When you start price wars, you can never win. You’re not building loyalty,” Lempert said. “You’re attracting a shopper who today is going to Hy-Vee, then goes to a dollar store, then Target.”

Companies are particularly interested in marketing to younger people to build new customers.

They are more likely than other generations to be influenced by a celebrity endorsement or advertisement, Mao said. Subconsciously, they may associate the values of a celebrity they like with the company or brand they’re marketing, she said.

"Many marketers are trying to get young people to pay attention to their brand, so there’s a lot of competition in this group,” Mao said.

Celebrity marketing efforts have to be targeted however, Lempert said. With national chains like Walmart and Target competing for customers, local stores have to differentiate themselves and stick with recognized local celebrities, like Mahomes or Johnson.

“Hiring Martha Stewart or hiring Blake Shelton to be your spokesperson doesn’t do much in today’s world,” Lempert said. “It has to be much more targeted and focused to who your shoppers are.”

Tweeten said commercials featuring Mahomes will start airing in late summer and exclusive products will start rolling out this year.

Hy-Vee isn’t actively seeking out any additional celebrity partnerships or marketing opportunities, she said. The Mahomes deal just happened at the right time and right place.

“This was a unique opportunity for us, no doubt about it,” Tweeten said.