When contemplating a celebrity-backed communication plan, marketers consider a few things: First and foremost, does the celebrity connect deeply with the product audience? Second, does the connect between the celebrity and product appear seamless and not forced? Last but not least, will the brand remain top of mind once the celebrity hype has dwindled?
If one were to look at the new campaign from fintech company CRED with seventies’ star Zeenat Aman as spokesperson, it would be difficult to check any of these boxes. Aman is 71, she no longer appears in movies, so it’s difficult to imagine CRED’s core consumer group connect deeply with her. In fact, the association might even appear jarring.
So what makes Zeenat Aman the numero uno choice for CRED? Interestingly, CRED saw its latest ad — in which Aman was seen flaunting her grey tresses while dishing out life lessons — go viral with 1.4 million views on Day 1.
It’s not just her though. Several stars who have retired have been making a comeback in advertising.
Take former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid who was named brand ambassador for Bharat Petroleum sometime back. Retired cricketer-turned- commentator Sunil Gavaskar was roped in last month by Dr Reddy’s for its latest campaign and named brand ambassador. Former actress Madhuri Dixit too was named brand ambassador by Muthoot Finance earlier this year.
The money trail
A-listers
· Virat Kohli: Rs 6-7 crore a day (international brand deals are $1-$1.5 million a day)
· Alia Bhatt: Rs 2.5 to 4 crore a day
· Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone: each commands between Rs 5-7 crore a day
· Akshay Kumar: Rs 3-5 crore a day
· Rohit Sharma: Rs 4-5 crore a day
· Shah Rukh Khan: Rs 4-6 crore a day
· Amitabh Bachchan: Rs 3-5 crore a day
· Kiara Advani: Rs 1.5 to 2 crore a day
· Shubman Gill: Rs 1.5 to 2 crore a day
Less visible/retired stars:
· Rahul Dravid, Suniel Shetty and Sunil Gavaskar: Rs 60 to 80 lakh a day
· Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Zeenat Aman: Rs 30 to 50 lakh a day
Digital content creators with a following of over 1 million command anywhere between Rs 10-15 lakh a day
Source: Industry estimates; figures vary according to brand and duration/scope of the agreement
Why do brands see merit in partnering with stars who are no longer in the public eye? The obvious surmise is that older personalities naturally command a fraction of the fees earned by younger, current faces. While A-list stars like Virat Kohli, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt command a fee of anywhere from 4 to7 crore a day for brand film shoots and gracing live events, the less visible ones such as Dravid would earn anywhere around 60 to80 lakh a day.
Fashion photographer Atul Kasbekar, who also runs the talent management agency Bling Entertainment Solutions, asserts that relevance is everything when it comes to brand endorsements. “Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar have not faded into the sunset. They are both very much part of Indian cricket and most people across age groups will recognise them,” says Kasbekar.
It is also important for celebrities to do things that keep them relevant to consumers and brands alike. Kasbekar observes that Zeenat Aman was in fact invisible until she joined the social media platform, Instagram, and won the affection of even young followers who had never watched her movies.
Thanks to social media, everyone enjoys increased visibility, a factor that is working well for stars who are no longer active entertainers. Also, according to Monika Daga, business head at ITW Influence, lesser-known faces often come across as more authentic or relatable to audiences. “Their association with a brand can create a sense of credibility. They often have compelling personal stories that can align well with a brand’s values or message,” explains Daga.
The GenZ question
Sandeep Goyal, CMD at Rediffusion argues that the challenge in the case of many “fading stars is that they will fail to have an impact on young consumers, who may not relate to them.” Since their appeal is limited, brands are not likely to derive much value from these partnerships if they are targeting a young demographic.
Marketers are taking note of this and are going beyond celeb partnerships to collaborate with digital content creators keeping in mind the GenZ online consumer base. Creators on social media platforms with a following of 1 million and above today therefore earn anywhere between Rs 10 to Rs 15 lakh a day for brand shoots and events.
Explaining that marketers need to choose the right partners based on their objectives, N. Chandramouli, CEO at brand insights agency, TRA Research, says, “If the brand wants to reach GenZ consumers, creators help you do that. The advantage is that you get a fairly accurate idea of the number of people who have engaged with an influencer’s branded content. That measurement is difficult with celebrity partnerships.” However, Chandramouli points out that even stars who aren’t in the public eye like Dravid or Gavaskar will perform better when it comes to mass appeal since they can be recognised across the country. Creators have a limited mass appeal in comparison.