John Wayne advertising Marlborough cigarettes, Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter and Cinzano, Linda Bellingham and Oxo, Piers Brosnan and whisky (can't remember the brand), the list goes on. More recently Kate Moss and Rimmel, Alan Titchmarsh, Parky et al advertising money-saving funeral plans and life insurance that they won't need to use - what's the difference?
Celebrities have always been given clothes, bags and other products as freebies in the hope that they are wearing or using them in paparazzi shots. It's nothing new, and not any more shallow or grabby when young people do it. Many influencers are experts in their products, eg Sali Hughes who does make-up tutorials online. Yes, they endorse particular products and get paid for it (do people expect them to work free?), but at the same time they are showing people how to apply them, which many find useful. There are numerous others who get followers for similar reasons.
Unless someone has lived a very 'unusual' life, they are most unlikely to have never been influenced by others - from the Queen to soap actors. Princess Diana was massively influential when it came to fashion - whether the couture versions she wore herself to cheap copies in C&A. We all see items being used in various media from Tatler to ads during Corrie, and I would struggle to believe anyone who claims to be immune from the influence of this sort of branding.
The whole idea of diamonds being 'forever' was created by De Beers who were losing money because of a fall in the price of diamonds. The stone was marketed as representing eternity and everlasting relationships, and became the 'natural' stone to use in engagement rings Prices shot up, and diamond rings are now seen as part of getting engaged. I don't know who came up with the idea that an engagement ring should cost three months salary, but that was another master stroke of influencing 
. De Beers now have a brand called Forevermark, which is directly descended from the original campaign, and the whole story is about influencing, pure and simple, and there are countless other examples.
It works in reverse too - Daniella Westbrook being photographed in head to toe Burberry caused a near collapse of the brand image and they had to relaunch with a completely new look. Her influence was not for the better, as her image was, er, 'not the one the company was aiming for'.
