January 25 is a special day for all Shah Rukh Khan fans who were eagerly looking forward to the superstar’s hiatus end. You are as good as your Friday release applies to almost all Bollywood superstars except King Khan.
Khan is arguably Bollywood’s most loved cultural export who made it in one of the toughest industries of the country, that too without network and wealth. SRK is making a comeback after a series of personal and professional difficulties, all thanks to Pathaan. On this occasion, let’s take a look at another one of SRK’s achievements – his long run as a brand ambassador and role in creating some of the most iconic Indian advertising.
Khan is no doubt a true-blue post-liberalisation superstar. His inspirational rise from a lower middle-class Delhi family to a global celebrity has made him the posterchild of love, hope and a progressive mindset amidst the religious tension in the country.
The growth of the telecoms sector along with incoming foreign investment at the time led media networks to broadcast throughout the country and these channels were instrumental in advertising and making certain that Khan’s films, songs, ads, interviews reached Indian households. Along with the country’s liberalisation, many brands entered the market and partnered with SRK and made him their brand ambassador.
SRK’s brand endorsement journey started in 1988 with Liberty Shoes. He backs brands and products across a wide range, starting from Hyundai, Lux, Pepsi, Thums Up, BYJU’S, Disney +Hotstar, Netflix, Cadbury, and Airtel among others. Brand Shah Rukh Khan has not only been built by Bollywood but also by the endorsement market.
Brands always have had trust in Khan so much so that when there was a pesticide controversy around Pepsi India, the brand leveraged SRK’s influence and popularity to regain the consumer’s trust.
But his run as a prolific brand endorser is not without controversy. There was a recent scandal involving Khan’s son which had an impact on his brand deals and edtech major BYJU’S also temporarily withdrew Khan’s ads citing “public sentiment” as the reason for the company’s decision. A few years ago, Khan also found himself caught up in controversy around the tone-deaf Fair & Handsome ads.
Now that you have had a fair idea about how Khan has impacted the advertising industry, let us take you through a journey of some of the most epic SRK ads.
Liberty Shoes
The very first sports shoes made in India starred none other than Shah Rukh Khan. The ad shows a young enthusiastic Khan going on a run in Liberty shoes. As the actor is preparing for his run, the audience can hear the song Eye of the Tiger. This ad is nostalgic for all those fans who bet on this hero in the 90s.
Hyundai
The 25-year long association between Hyundai and SRK has worked because the brand understood that the actor is ideal for reaching the Indian masses across ages, income levels, classes and regions. Hyundai wanted to present its car as a family car and the marketing and sales team chose SRK because he is also seen as a family man. This ad shows the company chasing the superstar to advertise Santro while the subsequent ads show the star playing a consumer and asking questions.
Pepsi – Yeh Dil Maange More
SRK had reached the pinnacle of success with films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Pepsi decided to leverage the star’s superstar status and together they created one of the most iconic Indian ads. It featured a young Shahid Kapoor, with the cast of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai – SRK, Rani Mukherji, and Kajol. Another ad from the series featured, Sachin Tendulkar.
Fair and Handsome
The idea behind Emami’s Fair and Handsome products was to encourage men to take their skin seriously. However, when the ad came out, the brand and SRK had to withstand severe backlash because the ad had a line that went “ Aaj ladkiyon wali fairness creams aur phir nail polish aur lipstick.” Interestingly, as per insider reports, SRK was not comfortable promoting the cream but he went ahead with it because of his rapport with the client.
Lux
The 2005 memorable Lux ad saw SRK become a “Lux Girl”. The ad showed the actor in a bathtub surrounded by female celebrities, all Lux brand ambassadors. Like it or hate it, the ad did break the typical mould of soap ads. SRK won over folks who gave him a thumbs up for taking on the project.
Disney+ Hotstar
In the ad for streaming platform Disney+Hotstar, Khan is seen hinting at a debut on the OTT platform. He takes a humorous approach to describe his FOMO (fear of missing out), of not being on the small screen, considering other actors like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, and Sanjay Dutt have already made their appearances on the streaming platform.
Cadbury
Bollywood’s favourite heartthrob with this ad won the hearts of the small and hyperlocal businesses in India. SRK was being vocal for local. With ‘Not Just A Cadbury Ad’ initiative, part of the ‘Iss Diwali Aap #KiseKhushKarenge?’ campaign , Mondelez attempted to support local businesses dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic. This campaign is not only noteworthy because of its smart use of technology and messaging but also because it is the first major campaign after a drug—probe against the actor’s son.
Thums Up
Shah Rukh Khan was back on his throne with this big blockbuster campaign channelling Pathaan and beating up thugs on a high-speed train. As the new face of Thums Up, Khan added fizz to not just the drink but also his personal brand equity with this toofani ad comeback.