By Enkayaar, Glamsham Editorial
One of the less talked about facts about Big B is that he has been a sort of a resurrector of brands when they have been in dire straits. As a matter of fact his entry into the arena of advertisement was during the times when he had taken a sabbatical from acting in films somewhere during mid1980s, was in the process of setting up his company and the Indian television market was experiencing cataclysmic changes, characterised by new entries and the old brands attempts to fight back. The first brand that he had endorsed in his endorsement career was for BPL television and the remuneration that he got at that point of time was highest that any star could get in South East Asia, and his endorsement of the brand provided it some sort of longevity.In the same manner when Cadburys chocolates were mired in controversy, as some worms had been found in some shop, and as a result the consumption of the chocolates had plummeted, it was left to Big B to resurrect the brand, and resurrect he did by removing all the scars that had come to haunt the brand and had reduced its market. Big B had one of the longest associations with Cadburys and probably it was owing to his endorsement of the chocolate that people started gifting chocolates instead of sweets on festive occasions. He had one of the longest stints with the brands till he appeared in the ad where for the sake of eating chocolate he was shown entering inside the body of a girl, and after he was not associated with the brand.
The crisis of confidence that Gujarat government was facing needed a brand ambassador like Big B to endorse the state, and after he agreed to endorse the state, Gujarat government found that inward tourist flow into the state increased by leaps and bounds, and the state has gone on record to underline the fact that were it not for Big B Gujarat would not have emerged as the favored destination of the tourists and the his association enhanced the status of the state as well, critics notwithstanding their criticism.
When one is taking about his outreach in terms of endorsing a brand, how can one forget his association to push for Polio drops. Even in those places like Western UP where there was a religious injunction, he could convince people to go for it, and was a catalyst in facilitating India emerge a country without polio.
Big B's association with brands have also had some funny campaigns as well, like the 'Thanda Thanda cool cool' for a hair oil as also for a brand of Chyawanprash, underlining the fact that he has an image and the brands that he endorses should conform to that image otherwise the brand's brand value can go for a toss.
His latest endorsement of Maggie Noodles is again a pointer to the fact that indeed when he tells a story he creates the aura. May the brand boom under his able endorsements.
