SRK and six other film stars dominate the list of top 10 celebrity endorsers in 2011
He is not only adored by millions of film buffs but advertisers also love him. Yes, Shah Rukh Khan has emerged as the most visible celebrity brand endorser of 2011. This is the result of an annual analysis done by TAM AdEx’ and is based on ad volume during commercial time (duration in seconds) and does not include any other promotional appearances on TV or activities by celebrities.
SRK (6 per cent) topped the list, followed by Katrina Kaif (5 per cent) and Kareena Kapoor (5 per cent). The trio was followed by cricketers M S Dhoni (4 per cent) and Sachin Tendulkar (4 per cent). The latter five slots were bagged by film stars, again, including Saif Ali Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra.
According to ad filmmaker Alyque Padamsee, Shah Rukh Khan is the most vibrant actor in the Hindi film industry and stands for S-Scintillating R-Romance and K-Kinetic. “The best brand campaign that he did was Fair And Handsome, as he changed the mindset of male youth in the country who were apprehensive to try out these kinds of beauty products,” says Padamsee.
In the second and third spots were Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor respectively. Padamsee says, “Both the leading ladies who have bagged the top spots in the study are lovely ladies and are fashion leaders.”
Agreeing with Padamsee on SRK’s magnetic appeal is Hitesh Gossain, Business Head, Percept Talent. According to him, SRK is one of the biggest brand names today. “His connect across society strata is very strong. Contributing to this are the roles he portrays, his keen business acumen, media presence and personality.”
When it comes to the share of Sports Celebrity Endorsements, there’s been a hike of 6 per cent over last year, comprising an 18 per cent share in overall endorsements in 2011. But most ad filmmakers still feel that actors are the safest bets when it comes to spreading awareness.
Hence it doesn’t come as a surprise that the top 10 brands endorsed by celebrities had film stars as brand ambassadors. Colgate Max Fresh Gel tops the Top 10 brands endorsed by celebrities and it has Shahid Kapoor and Genelia D’Souza, followed by Idea 3G by Abhishek Bachchan and Idea Cellular by Abhishek Bachchan, again. (In South India, Idea 3G and Idea Cellular are endorsed by local superstars).
Ask why Shah Rukh Khan and Gossain replies, “Overall, SRK rates very high on conviction and the association index, which makes him a strong torchbearer for the brand seeking a strong audience connect. His professional approach in his corporate dealings has added to the comfort level brands have with him. He is a delight to work with.”
On comparing SRK with other actors and why only three female leading actresses made it to the top 10 list, ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar replies, “Shah Rukh Khan being rated the top-most endorser for 2011 is not surprising. SRK is unique and universally accepted by people. After RA.One, his popularity among kids has soared. He is an all-rounder. Other celebs like Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan or even Shahid Kapoor, for that matter, are nowhere close to SRK. Salman Khan is very popular at the moment with his films doing really well. His bad boy image is something that is liked by a lot of youngsters, but I feel he has been wasted and not utilised properly by advertisers.
Unfortunately, it seems women do not matter all that much to advertisers and only Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor made it to the Top 10 list of celebrity endorsers. Female stars are paid Rs 1.5 crore per advertisement whereas male celebrities are paid close to Rs 6.5 crore.
Source: BoxOfficeIndia
