Gone are the days when one could do a few films a year and be assured of retaining their fan following. With new faces being launched every other Friday, how do established actors manage to stay in the limelight? For that matter, how do unknown people rule hearts within a matter of days?
The answer is simple. Product endorsements. “No matter how popular you are, in the film industry you can only do two-three films a year. Between projects, an actor should be part of endorsements so that the audience remembers them,” says ad-filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar.
These ads are also a boon for South Indian actresses venturing into Bollywood, making them household names. Rakul Preet Singh’s new Airtel campaign and Taapsee Pannu’s deodorant ad with Amit Sadh, have made them household faces, across India. The same goes for Nitya Menen in the Tanishq and Titan ads.
Taapsee, whose first film Chashme Badoor, didn’t fare too well, says that ads work better than films in increasing the visibility of an actress, “They definitely make you more popular, because unlike a film, which runs for a few odd weeks, ads run for months, sometimes for more than a year. The number of people who watch TV are far more than those who go to the theatres, and in that sense ads grab many more eyeballs,” she says.
But when does a brand opt for a celebrity endorser as opposed to a newcomer? “Sometimes brands feel the need for celebrity endorsements so that there is instant recognition. When a brand is looking to catapult itself to a brand of stature then a celebrity comes handy,” adds Shriram Iyer, executive creative director of Lowe Lintas.
For the girls from the South, endorsements have definitely worked in their favour. While Taapsee has been getting a lot of queries after her ad was released, Rakul too considers the Airtel campaign as a stepping-stone to her B’town career.
“Soon after they were out, I got two offers opposite Pulkit Samrat, who was cast opposite me in the Airtel series. But due to prior commitments I couldn’t take them up. Several other projects are materialising as well, so it has all worked out quite well,” adds Rakul.
