Audiences have moved beyond the mainstream. We are seeing movies such as The Lunchbox and Masaan packing full houses. Sports entertainment is exploring newer pastures with football and kabaddi leagues. On television, programming is treading away from the conventional dramas. The lines blur further when critically-acclaimed actors such as Nawazuddin Siddiqui star alongside commercial superstars in movies like Kick and Bajrangi Bhaijaan — and receive equal recognition.
The definition of an actor is no longer limited to the conventional chocolate boy or ‘six-pack abs’, nor is the actress simply a young, pretty face. When Bollywood is embracing the unconventional, it is no surprise that advertising follows suit.
After his continuous success at the box office, brands have spared no time in signing Nawazuddin Siddiqui for their campaigns. Cases in point? Truecaller roped him in for their first brand campaign in India in August, while Mayur Suitings signed him on in October. Last month, Mahindra & Mahindra launched a CSR campaign, ‘Seed the Rise’, with Siddiqui. Or take another unconventional actor Irrfan Khan, who has gained popularity amongst advertisers. While Syska has almost become synonymous with the actor of Piku fame, other brands in his kitty include Ceat Tyres, Envy deodorants, Xolo Black and IndiaMART.
Then for its latest collection of watches, Titan signed on Rajkummar Rao of Queen fame to star in the campaign. Saina Nehwal, who was recently appointed brand ambassador of Edelweiss Group, is one of the few non-cricket sportspersons with multiple endorsements. Philips roped in chef Ranveer Brar to endorse their range of kitchen appliances. We have seen Kalki Koechlin and Monica Dogra in advertisements for Olay Total Effects and Huma Qureshi for Wild Stone deodorants, respectively.
Although A-listers such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan or Deepika Padukone continue to bag more and more brand endorsements, we find out how opting for the unconventional route can prove to be a refreshing and viable change for advertisers.
A different league
Signing a celebrity for an endorsement has always been the quickest way for a brand to stand out from the clutter. But what happens when the celebrity itself becomes a blind spot? Hitesh Gossain, CEO of events marketplace Onspon.com and a former Percept Talent hand says, “First the brand has to spend to get the celebrity, then they have to spend to outbid the others. The brand clutter is evident. A-listers are inundated with endorsements.” This is where the unconventional celebrity comes to the rescue.
Some brand managers have understood that they can establish the same message by associating with an unconventional celebrity without having to empty their pockets. Apart from clutter, over exposure of the same celebrities for several endorsements has led to a decrease in their novelty. Brands are, after all, looking for a fresh approach.
And the clutter posed by top celebs can often be accompanied by a loss of credibility. From hair oils to plumbing systems, soaps to baby products, A-listers have done it all, losing their credibility along the way. “Now the audience knows that an A-lister is not personally invested in the service or product,” says Shormistha Mukherjee, cofounder and director, Flying Cursor Interactive. The agency worked on Mahindra & Mahindra’s ‘Seed the Rise’ campaign. The solution to credibility was found in critically-acclaimed actors who have carved a niche for themselves.
Manpreet Bacchhar, Irrfan Khan’s manager says, “An actor like Irrfan is taken more seriously as he has his own USP. He stands for no fluff, no buffoonery. He is careful about choosing his endorsements and gets involved in the process. When he associates with a brand, you are assured he’s not just doing it for a chunk of money but also because he believes in the product.” After working on the campaigns for Syska, Rahul Gupta, managing director, IBD India says, “Irrfan is someone who has a sharply defined identity and clear value proposition unlike an A-lister who has a mass appeal.
If the brand’s value proposition and message is in sync with the celebrity, consumers find the brand story more credible.”
Slice of life
Speaking of credibility, the real lives of these unconventional celebrities tends to help in that department. Bunty Sajdeh, CEO, Cornerstone Sport & Entertainment says, “Audiences tend to relate more with a celebrity who has come up through the ranks like them.” Truecaller’s campaign, ‘Take the right call’, shows actor Siddiqui reminiscing about his struggling days and how one call changed his life. Ashish Chakravarty, national creative director, Contract Advertising says, “The true story of where he has emerged from, of a guy who made the most of what life threw up, is compelling. We saw an effortless link between the brand and Nawazuddin’s story. Thereafter the only thing to do was to have him tell us his story in his words and the product just slips in effortlessly.”
Kari Krishnamurthy, vice president, growth and partnerships, Asia and country manager, Truecaller India says the creative concept decided the brand ambassador instead of the other way around. “Only when we considered it closely did we realise how much common ground the brand and Nawazuddin shared with each other. Truecaller is a small company and a brand that has seen tremendous growth in the last 3-4 years.”
Even Mayur Suitings takes a spin on the actor’s humble beginnings. In the campaign, Siddiqui believes he has truly made it big in life when he is presented with a Mayur Suitings creation on the sets of a film.
A brand that has been endorsed by the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Virender Sehwag and Salman Khan in the past, saw a fit with Siddiqui due to his pan- India appeal.
Explaining how actor
Rajkummar Rao fit the bill for Titan’s campaign, Suparna Mitra, chief marketing officer, watches and accessories division, Titan Company says, “The ad tells the story of a man who has left his job to start his own company. We felt that Rajkummar, with his beginnings and his phenomenal performances fit this role perfectly. He is a path-breaker and innovator in his own field — exactly the stuff that entrepreneurs are made up of.”
The niche factor
The relatable real lives make it easier for brands to build a connection with their target groups. However, not all brands are turning towards the unconventional. Mass market brands that have traditionally dominated celebrity endorsements continue to stick with A-listers as they deliver mass outreach and maintain the brand’s aspirational value. It’s the niche and B2B players that until now never felt the need for a celebrity, who are finding their match in unconventional celebrities. These brands don’t want to portray themselves as above the ordinary and want to reach the consumers at a functional level.
“A brand ambassador’s message will have an impact on the consumer only when it is believable and genuine,” Gossain says. This becomes easy with an unconventional celebrity who comes across as your friend, a grounded guy/girl next door who understands the concept of value for money.
Syska’s association with
Irrfan Khan may have worked because the brand was trying to bring about a change in consumer behaviour. Gupta explains, “Syska’s message was that of no more CFL and smarter savings. For people to see the value in spending extra to get away from existing lighting, a regular star wouldn’t have been the right way to reach out. With Irrfan’s straight speaking characteristics and no nonsense attitude, it was the right voice to convey the message.”
Indranil Das Blah, partner and cofounder, CAA KWAN agrees, “Sometimes, the script of an advertisement is better suited for someone who is not larger-than-life.”
And of course, it goes without saying that such endorsers are pocket friendly for advertisers. It’s no secret that A-listers come with a heavy endorsement fee but there are several additional overheads too. Sajdeh says, “There is a cost to service the celebrity, quality of the ad film, stature of its director, photographer and stylist. Not all brands have that kind of a budget making it commercially unviable.”
After all, not all brands have the budgets to first sign an A-lister and then leverage that by spending on media. They will always provide eyeballs and create an impact but at a cost. “An unconventional face comes at a fraction of the cost and depending on the creatives, can work almost as well as an A-lister in most cases,” says Blah.
As per industry sources, an A-lister would charge almost 15-20 times higher a fee as compared to an unconventional celebrity. Top stars charge between Rs 6-15 crore annually whereas a television star or a lesser Bollywood celebrity would charge Rs 20 lakhs to Rs 1 crore.
The availability of options has also helped brands. Gossain says, “Around 10 years back, if I wanted a celebrity but not an A-lister, I would probably get one option. Now you have 20.” Options have grown because niche celebrities are no longer niche. “The kind of reach probably a Dharmendra had in his times would be same as what a Ram Kapoor has now because of increase in media penetration,” he explains.
This is not to say that A-listers will be out of endorsement jobs anytime soon. “We are a celebrity starved nation and A-listers will always have their share of takers,” muses Blah.
