Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerjee Celebrity – endorsed advertisements-Do they serve their purpose?

Yes, you read right. They are so ubiquitous that we accept them as an ever present, if slightly irritating part of our television viewing experience. But rarely are we discerning enough to question their need.

We see the familiar faces on the small screen cajoling us in their alluring and well recognized voices-be it the deep baritone of Amitabh Bachchan, the nasal twang of SRK or the husky tones of Rani Mukerjee, to open up our wallets and fatten the bank accounts of a myriad brands. Love them or hate them we cannot escape from celebrity-endorsed advertisements. So why pay to the tune of crores to these giant egos when even an unknown face can do the same? So what exactly were advertisements conceptualized to do? Back in the early 19th century, the main forms of advertisements were the newspapers and pamphlets. Well-drawn cartoons and witty punch lines written in bold letters did the trick of informing the masses about the launch of a new revolutionary product or to make them aware of the change in price of existing ones. So that is what advertisements are supposed to do. A very simple and integral part of marketing and a very convenient way to reach a large consumer base. When the magical medium television entered the scene with a bang, advertisements grew and became a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. That is when the bright minds of the industry came up with the idea of using celebrities to urge people to buy the showcased products. They feel that since people look up to the stars as their role models, their words may create a greater impact on their minds than a regular model’s. Moreover, it has also become a status symbol for the uber rich corporate houses to rope in more and more elusive and sought after names as a part of their stable. That is the reason why SRK can quote a price of 7 to 8 crores per advertisement in the recession hit market and Ash pours up to 4 crores into her kitty with every Lux or Loreal that she endorses.

But we should pause a moment to consider, do these slickly made, ultra expensive advertisements really influence our buying? I mean come on, every middle class housewife knows that a thousand costly facials and treatments are the secret behind Katrina Kaif’s flawless complexion and not the bathing bar Dyna, which she so glibly praises. Nor do men expect to emerge unscathed through a raging tornado on a bike like matinee idol Hrithik Roshan. So when we buy a product because our favorite star is endorsing it, do we do so because we have faith in the quality of the product or do we appreciate the ability of the brand to spend money lavishly by making improbable advertisements??

Some of the most touching advertisements like the ones made by LIC feature little known faces and leave an indelible print on our hearts because of the human emotions they portray. The time may soon come when the corporate houses will realize the same and stop preferring celebrities over regular models. 9Xm has already started the trend. Gelusil and Ponds use their unique channel mascots the “Beetel Nuts” and “Bheegi Billi” to promote their products. It is a refreshing change. These cute as buttons animated figures do look more real than Akshay Kumar risking his life for a bottle of Thums up!!!

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