Author: @RobCain
If Baahubali star Prabhas is ever going to leverage his film stardom to join the ranks of India’s leading celebrity brand endorsers, now is the time. Since his latest film joined the select 500 Crore (US$78.5 million) club last week, he has reached a new peak of fame and popularity, not just in his home Telugu region, but also across India and around the world. To advertisers, Prabhas is worth his weight in gold.
His boyish good looks and macho charm make Prabhas a natural pitchman for big brands seeking to reach Indian consumers. Assuming he wants to capitalize on such opportunities, he’ll want to lock down some endorsement deals before he’s due to report to the set of Baahubali: The Conclusion in mid-September. His ‘heat’ could scarcely be hotter than it is now; he can expect the media’s attention to cool off by several degrees until the second installment in the Baahubali franchise releases on July 14, 2016.
According to Forbes’ recently published World’s Highest-Paid Actors list, several Indian stars rank among the world’s most highly compensated thespians, owning not only to their film paychecks, but also thanks to TV MC duties like Amitabh Bachchan’s hosting role on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India’s version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire), and juicy endorsement contracts like Shah Rukh Khan’s deal with Pan Masala.
Although celebrity endorsements tend to pay much less in India than they do in the much larger American ad market, the biggest Indian stars can make up for that disparity by repping far more products. Where a Hollywood celebrity like Tom Cruise or Angelina Jolie might tout a few select products at a time, an Indian actor like Prabash’s Telugu counterpart Mahesh Babu or Bollywood star Salman Khan can appear simultaneously as brand ambassador for ten or more advertisers. Khan has been working branding duties for Coca Cola’s Thumbs Up, Astral Pipes, Hindustan Unilever’s detergent Wheel, Suzuki two-wheelers, Sun Pharma’s Revital, Relaxo Hawaii, yatra.com, Tiger biscuit, Dixcy Scott innerwear, Rotomac pens and Sangini jewellery.
If Baahubali star Prabhas is ever going to leverage his film stardom to join the ranks of India’s leading celebrity brand endorsers, now is the time. Since his latest film joined the select 500 Crore (US$78.5 million) club last week, he has reached a new peak of fame and popularity, not just in his home Telugu region, but also across India and around the world. To advertisers, Prabhas is worth his weight in gold.
According to Forbes’ recently published World’s Highest-Paid Actors list, several Indian stars rank among the world’s most highly compensated thespians, owning not only to their film paychecks, but also thanks to TV MC duties like Amitabh Bachchan’s hosting role on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India’s version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire), and juicy endorsement contracts like Shah Rukh Khan’s deal with Pan Masala.
Although celebrity endorsements tend to pay much less in India than they do in the much larger American ad market, the biggest Indian stars can make up for that disparity by repping far more products. Where a Hollywood celebrity like Tom Cruise or Angelina Jolie might tout a few select products at a time, an Indian actor like Prabash’s Telugu counterpart Mahesh Babu or Bollywood star Salman Khan can appear simultaneously as brand ambassador for ten or more advertisers. Khan has been working branding duties for Coca Cola’s Thumbs Up, Astral Pipes, Hindustan Unilever’s detergent Wheel, Suzuki two-wheelers, Sun Pharma’s Revital, Relaxo Hawaii, yatra.com, Tiger biscuit, Dixcy Scott innerwear, Rotomac pens and Sangini jewellery.
In fact, Salman Khan’s current legal troubles relating to his conviction on hit-and-run charges may create an opening for Prabhas to step in and fill a vacuum when Khan’s contracts end. Indian brand strategist Harish Bijoor said Khan’s existing endorsement contracts with companies won’t be terminated as long as he doesn’t go to jail, but new brands will be unlikely to sign him in the future.
Prabhas would do well to follow in the footsteps of Amitabh Bachchan, the venerable megastar who chooses his endorsement deals carefully, and whose contracts include provisions that protect him when things go wrong. Bachchan’s name came up as a former spokesman when Nestle India’s popular Maggi noodles were found by government food regulators to contain monosodium glutamate and lead in excess of the prescribed limit. When asked about the Maggi case Bachchan said, ”Every time there is something consumable, I try to have a look at it because they are always up for a lot of controversies. And if you are in some celebrity position, then you are bound to get attacked and get drawn into it.”
For his own part, Prabhas appears to be playing things safe by taking his celebrity in stride. Sources close to the actor reveal that he will only work with brands that are consistent with his image and that will enhance his standing with his fans.
0 Comments