Talk on film actors finally realising the value they can bring to a brand, and the year 2015 tells you a good story of those who were caught by the ad-bug for the first time. Irrespective of why they didn’t do ads in the past, they have made sure that, when they do so, they hit the bull’s eye in a grand way.
For instance, Prabhas, fresh in his Baahubali avatar, for his first appearance in a commercial, broke walls of a fort-like set, zipping past the baddies in his Mahindra TUV300 and came out of the car to say, ‘One minute’ (to the ad director in the commercial) and his body language, pretty much did the rest (in sync with most of his on-screen image). The fact that the language barriers were also eliminated in this particular case, ensured an unparalleled reach, both to the brand and the actor.
A similar approach was followed in the case of Kamal Haasan’s presence in the Pothys (chain of sari stores) ad, though the languages were restricted to Tamil and Telugu, due to the limitations of the product (unlike a car whose presence is national). And this was the star’s first ad in a span of 50 years! So, you see the special care to promote the brand on his credibility. Like the first commercial has talk about how trust and love can’t be created; they need to be nurtured over time. There is also a reference to the way people have appreciated him since his childhood, a seamless transition coming into place when he associates the same with the store too. The icing on the cake is Ghibran’s work as a music composer.
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Ad-film director Sanjay adds, “We are appreciating the result because, the commercials have stayed true to their off-screen image.Their choice to remain exclusive over the years only benefits a brand more. A customer, in these cases, trusts the face and the impact the commercials give and will remember them as they go shopping. And in most of these cases, as there’s only a single brand they endorse, the identification is instant.”
Celebrity endorsements stretched to women too with actor Nayanthara returning to the ad-space after a 5 year hiatus, for only the second time, with GRT Jewellery. Besides the aesthetics of the commercial she was a part of, (as part of the Shubh-Arambh series), the location, the colours chosen, the melodious voice of Bombay Jayashree in the jingle, a nice twist to the classic composition, ‘Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje’, all give it the required traditional classicality.
On other Telugu film actors, who marked their endorsement debuts were Ravi Teja (for Lord & Master, Walkmate) and Nikhil Siddhartha (for Kancheepuram Vara Mahalakshmi Silks).
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Among Bollywood actors, Kangana Ranaut, post her return to form, featured in an interesting Boro Plus commercial alongside Amitabh Bacchan. Earlier, Amala Akkineni, veterans Kanchana and Waheeda Rehman were also among those who caught the public eye with their endorsements.