Celeb Fatigue

How often have you seen actor Aamir Khan on television recently?
A couple of times a day is the least you���d say. As you mull over his numerous ad avatars and think ���Isn���t he the one who traipses along buildings for a cellphone ad, then the naughty husband-wife duo bickering over a satellite TV or those six different guys in a car���...You begin to realise that the last time you probably saw him act was a year back.
Well Mr Khan can afford to take things at that pace because he is worth a whopping Rs 7-12 crores. The verdict is out. It is a complete Khan v/s Khan affair with both Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan running neck to neck with rival brands signing on the two stars. And both of them charge anywhere between Rs 5-10 crores for brand endorsements. Following closely are cricketer MS Dhoni, actor Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan while glam queens Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor seem to be the favourites of admakers for brand endorsement.
Adman Prahlad Kakar says he would put his money on the celebrities any day because it is a sureshot formula. ���No manufacturer would stake his Rs 6-7 crores if he were only speculating if a celebrity endorsement would translate into direct sales revenue. The recall value of celebrities is still huge among the masses and the ad-makers ensure that the ad spots are spread out over a period of time. Shah Rukh Khan and MS Dhoni have a long list of brands while Aamir Khan is known for his exclusivity.���
Can lack of creative ideas also make the ad-makers rush to the reigning Kings of Bollywood? Even after so much celebrity overkill in the ads on television, what makes them go back to celebrities. Do they sell? ���Celebrity endorsements work best when you want to tower up your brand in the face of stiff market competitors. Like Abhinav Bindra and Sushil Kumar would be used for some quick brand building because of their recent Olympic success. But the trick is to not let the celebrity become bigger than the brand because then it is a cause for worry for the admakers. Previously, there have also been instances where celebrities have been dropped like hot potatoes following bad press or when the brand felt that they have not done any value-addition to it. The bottomline is ���numbers don���t lie��� and celeb endorsements are effective in advertising,��� says Sanjay Chakraborty, brand director of an advertising firm.
Industry pundits across the country have been unanimous about the fact that despite the glam quotient, nothing can beat a good concept that is executed well in an ad. The idea that a popular celebrity can do what a good concept can���t is a myth. Actor Prachi Desai who has seen her popularity spiralling following her hugely popular TV serial and reality show wins and not to talk about the success of Rock On feels, ���Celebrities can only bring certain values to the existing brand. My girl-next door image seems to work for the brands that I represent and I hope I would make a difference.���