Aamir, Shahrukh, Salman rule Endorsement industry!

Celebrity advertisements have become a trend to attract audiences for many years. Well-known brands cash in on famous celebrities just to grab attention.

A source quoted Prahlad Kakkar, CEO, Genesis as saying, “Celebrity endorsements do make sense for IT products. If it is Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan or Hritik Roshan, it surely makes sense, as they are known to be quite discerning in nature. These guys are very savvy in terms of hardware, computers, IT, etc.”

Indians are mostly influenced by Bollywood celebrities and they keep a tab on what Bollywood stars do, what they eat, what they use, etc.

Aamir Khan tops the list as the most expensive B-town actor, even though he is selective in his choice. He is known for setting trends. He was approached to endorse a leading watch brand. In 2008, Aamir was the highest paid endorser. His few endorsements include Samsung mobiles, Titan watches, Tata Sky and Coca Cola. Fees*: 4 crores.

Shahrukh Khan is not only king in the film industry, but also tops the list in endorsing national and international products, amongst any other celebrities. He has been the first choice of many brands for promoting their products and ideas. According to a survey by TAM Media Research (2008), SRK had endorsed maximum brands on TV. He endorses leading brands like Airtel, Videocon, Pepsodent, Emami, Hyundai Motors and Dish TV and international brands like Nokia and Tag Heuer. Fees*: 2-3 crores.

Salman Khan is no less than a brand in himself. He too is riding high on endorsements. Detergent, and an inner wear brand are few which he endorses. He is the brand ambassador of a new US-based factual entertainment channel-History. He has a record deal with travel company Yatra. Suzuki Motorcycle India has announced him as a brand ambassador for India. Previously, he was a brand ambassador of Mountain Dew drink. Fees*: 1.5 crores.

Ranbir Kapoor, the young and talented actor, is also in much demand. With just less than 10 films, Ranbir overtakes Aamir and Shahrukh. “Ranbir with his hits and bouquet of films had only added dimensions to his personality. From a boy next door, to a young hip urban youth, to even promoting something serious, Ranbir is the face that almost every endorser is considering,” a source quoted top brand analyst Harish Bijoor as saying. He endorses PepsiCo, Docomo, John Players, Hero Moto Corp, Panasonic, Nissan and Franco Leone. Fees*: 1.5-2 crores.

Amitabh Bachachan is loved by people for his style and dynamic voice. Advertisement agencies line up to make him as a brand ambassador for their product. It was said that Big B earns more from his endorsements than other stars. It is also said that he defeated Aamir with a whopping Rs 10 crore contract with ICICI. Parker pen, Boroplus, Dairy Milk and Dabur are few brands promoted by Big B. Fees*: 1-1.5 crores.

Few other stars' Fees* are:

Akshay Kumar: Rs 1.5 - 2 cr
Hrithik Roshan: Rs 1.25-1.5 cr
Ajay Devgn: Rs 1-1.5 cr
Shahid Kapoor: Rs 1 cr
Imran Khan: 1-1.25 cr

(Note: Fees*- Endorsement fees/per day is approximate and not fixed.)