Akshay tops celeb endorsements; Khans don't feature in top 5
For decades, the Khans of Bollywood- Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan- have maintained being at the top of the industry. However, the mighty Khans have recently been dethroned in terms of brand endorsements by Akshay Kumar. Akshay emerged as the topmost celebrity in the endorsement space. What's shocking is that none of the Khans even made it to the top five.
Here's everyone who made it to the top 5
Akshay topped the list with endorsements worth Rs. 100cr, Economic Times reported. According to an Exchange4Media report, DeepVeer also replaced Virushka as the new power couple, with Ranveer Singh at number 2 (Rs. 84cr) Deepika Padukone (Rs. 75cr). Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan, the oldest in the top 5, took the fourth spot with endorsement deals worth Rs. 72cr, followed by Alia Bhatt (Rs. 68cr).
Always among top 5, SRK bagged 6th spot in 2018
SRK, who was consistently among top 5 in the last five years, surprisingly bagged the sixth spot in 2018 with deals worth Rs. 56cr, followed by Varun Dhawan (Rs. 48cr), Salman Khan (Rs. 40cr), Kareena Kapoor (Rs. 32) and Katrina Kaif (Rs. 30cr).
Celebrity endorsements have grown 25% from last year
According to the Showbiz 2.0 report, excerpted in ET, brands are now aiming for more new-age actors such as Jhanvi Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Sara Ali Khan, and Kartik Aaryan. The report adds that celebrity endorsements have grown from Rs. 795cr in 2017 to Rs. 995cr in 2018. Additionally, the top 10 celebrity endorsement value also rose to Rs. 605cr, growing by 20% over 2017.
What is the Showbiz Report?
The findings are reported in the second edition of Showbiz Report, published by ESP Properties, the entertainment, and sports division of GroupM. Showbiz 2.0 presents a consolidated report on marketing in Indian entertainment including film marketing, brand and films, celebrity endorsements, and licensing in India.
There's been a shift in what brand custodians look for
"Celebrities and fashion have a permanent bond which isn't likely to fade away anytime soon," said Vinit Karnik, business head, ESP Properties. Brands are now looking beyond feature films and exploring celebrity influencers, Karnik said. "Influencer game will become stronger with brands increasingly swaying towards them, vying for direct reach with their loyal follower bases as part of their renewed brand strategies," he added.
Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni nowhere in top 10
Another shocking revelation in the report is the absence of Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dhoni, who was the top endorser in years 2013 and 2014, had been consistently in the list for the last five years, much like his contemporary Virat.
