Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurana, currently promotes over 25 brands including Bajaj Allianz, Balaji Wafers, Titan Eye Plus eyewear, Realme mobile, Godrej Security Solutions, Magicbricks, Urban Clap, Nexus Malls, Toyota Urban Cruiser among several others.
Over the past few months, more than a dozen brands have either signed Ayushmann Khurrana as their celebrity endorsement or launched commercials that star him. The latest examples include KitKat, Bajaj Allianz Live, Peter England, Sprite, Club Mahindra, and The Man Business.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, other celebrities, including Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Shahid Kapoor, are evidently less visible on the screen advertising branded contents.
Ayushmann made his Bollywood debut with the romantic comedy ‘Vicky Donor’ in 2012 starting his career as a radio jockey (RJ). Since then, Ayushmann has been seen in the roles of an average man in the 17 films he starred in, not a ‘star’ per se. Popular headings include ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ (2015, Haridwar-based), ‘Shubh Mangal Saavdhan’ (2017, Gurgaon-based), ‘Badhaai Ho’ (2018, Meerut-based), ‘Dream Girl’ (2019), ‘Bala’ (2019, Kanpur-based) and his most recent release Gulabo Sitabo (2020, based in Lucknow)
According to Hitesh Dhingra, MD, and founder of The Man Company, Ayushman Khurrana is a self-made man who has been pushing the boundaries, speaks New India’s language through his films and beliefs, and sparks significant social conversations. The brand thinks the appearance, gender, race, lifestyle, occupation, and even sexuality are insignificant to being a gentleman. What matters is the intrinsic characteristics one possesses and the constantly evolving mentality. With his cinematic choices, Khurrana has shown different shades of gentlemen. He has shown that a man can reach for the sky with passion and skill. He has addressed the problems in his own way and taken them to the mainstream.
Chaitanya Joshi, creative director, Dentsu Webchutney said, Khurrana says tales that could happen in your living room for the middle class still binge in the 1980s and 90s Bollywood. He is not the ‘basti “Raju, or Munna, who is rebellious. Nor is he the young Rahul, who would inherit the name Malhotra. Khurrana is the relatable Vicky or Mudit. And this relatability can be a game-changer for several brands. On a deeper basis, Khurrana ties with the Indian middle class. fHis aspirations for Bollywood did not stop him from marrying his longtime girlfriend and having children. And like the middle-class Indians, he’s keeping away from controversies. He is a good choice for a company operating in one of the largest middle-class markets.
Most industry experts believe that Ayushman can take brands to the mind of middle-class people than any other celebrities.
