Shahrukh Khan is probably the first choice to promote products and ideas. The business houses always want to promote their products through a face that the world knows and trusts - Shahrukh always fulfilled these criteria. He is not only a successful actor but also a brilliant communicator. The audience trusts his words and follows his footsteps. In the industry this truth is well established that Shahrukh has excellent PR skills and he knows where to win love and in which way. Ever since he became familiar face, Shahrukh was seen in many promotional shows like government message boards (AIDS, Polio) and later into brands like Tata Tea, Pepsi, Mayur Suitings, Hyundai Santro, Videocon and so on.
Shahrukh did a television ad for Liberty shoes while he was shooting Fauji. All he did was to wear a Puma t-shirt and football shorts and jump. They were the first sports shoes made in India and he was their first model. The second ad he did was a Pan Parag kind of product, but it never really took off in the market. Then there were a number of public service ads, which he had done in Delhi during Fauji and Dil Darya. For one of these ads, he did his first stunt without an action choreographer. Shahrukh collided into a car with his two-wheeler, and somersault onto the bonnet and went over the roof. The first advertisement he did after coming to Bombay was the Tata Tea ad that helped him to buy a house. He did three films in three days with Prahlad Kakkar, produced by Pravin Nischol (who later produced the film English Babu Desi Mem).
A brand named Shah Rukh Khan was never in loss of offers, be it commercials or films. As a star he believes that he opened the gates for other actors to do ads. He brought uprightness to stars doing ads by endorsing so many products like Mayur Suitings, Hyundai Santro, Snoodles, Cinthol soap, Bagpiper club soda, Clinic All Clear. Eventually, he became the Omega brand ambassador. Shahrukh Khan can probably be in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Indian hero who has sold the maximum number of products, starting from cars, soap, shampoo, noodles, watches, clothes and many more.
ITC Limited - Foods Business took India`s Superstar Shah Rukh Khan as the brand ambassador for its flagship brand "Sunfeast". Shahrukh Khan endorsed the entire range of snacks under the banner of Sunfeast. The Divisional Chief Executive of ITC Limited commented on Shah Rukh Khan that there is a perfect fit between the hero and Sunfeast - the superiority, reputation and the love and trust they both share across consumer demographics is to be noticed. Moreover, Shah Rukh has a universal appeal that extends to everyone across age groups alike the product Sunfeast.
Product and Brand Endorsements come easy to Shah Rukh Khan. After having endorsed a whole range of products from colas to cars and cell phones to computers, Shah Rukh has also been signed as the brand ambassador of Linc Pen brand of pens.
King Khan has another brand to add to his long list of endorsements. The brand, Emami is known for having the most number of celebrity endorsers including
Madhuri Dixit,
Raveena Tandon,
Sunny Deol, cricket captain
Sourav Ganguly and also
Amitabh Bachchan has signed Shah Rukh Khan as their brand ambassador. Emami`s prime endorser has been Amitabh Bachchan, who is still its senior brand ambassador. He was signed on for Emami Fast Relief and Emami Navrattan Oil. Amitabh Bachchan gets paid a remuneration of 10 crores-12 crores per annum, for this endorsement.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was a turning point in not only Shahrukh Khan`s film career, but also brought about a change as his brand ambassador. Artificial Tommy Hilfiger T-shirts were swamped in the fashion streets after the release of the film; much before the brand itself came to India. When the brand ultimately came in India, Tommy Hilfiger confessed that he was surprised by the Indian market`s familiarity with the brand and he credited Shah Rukh Khan for having unintentionally done him a service, by wearing Tommy t-shirts in the film. So it was only an issue of time before overseas brands identified Bollywood with its traditional mass appeal and its modern slick production houses and glossy backdrop for their entry to India.
ICICI Bank Limited, India`s second largest Bank signed up Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as its global brand ambassador. ICICI Bank Joint managing director Lalita D Gupte said the bank`s association with Shah Rukh Khan, whose global popularity has been increasing, brings more fame to the bank`s growing global presence. Shah Rukh Khan`s image and popularity with the Non-Resident Indian segment will further strengthen ICICI Bank`s global identity, the bank said in a statement.
The Emami Group has roped in actor Shahrukh Khan as brand ambassador for its recent fairness cream for men called `Emami Fair and Handsome` to increase its foothold in the fast-growing segment. The Rs1, 500-crore personal care and health care group has signed a contract with Khan for two years to endorse the product in the country. Khan has been associated with the company and already appeared in ads for brands like Himani Navratna Oil and Himani Sona Chandi Chyawanprash.
The constantly running commercials made Shah Rukh an omnipresent celebrity. He usually had two to three film releases every year, but the Shah Rukh Khan persona was always available for consumption on television and in print ads. Shah Rukh was the ideal deity for a rapidly modernizing India in which media, especially television, had become increasingly important. He evolved from an actor into a brand name.
