Mumbai: At 67, Amitabh Bachchan is among the top stars today who command a price of approximately Rs2 to 3crore per advertisement, which as good as doing an entire film. Ad film-maker Prasoon Pandey believes that doyen of Bollywood -- Amitabh Bachchan -- is a big brand because of his versatility and perfectionism.
"Amitabh is a concept in himself. No Hollywood actor today has done as varied roles as he has in his career. Amitabh can do anything, right from being Anand to being Vijay. That is why he has a mass appeal which cuts across age group from 6-80 years," says Prasoon.
According to brand analyst Harish Bijoor, Amitabh has been an iconic symbol for a whole generation of Indians to such an extent that he has gone beyond success and failure. "People love him so much that he has become the undisputed and risk-free proposition to promote any kind of a brand. However, he is presently on the downside of his endorsement promotions. He experienced his peak during the first season of KBC in 2000-01," he says.
Bachchan is presently endorsing approximately 15-20 brands across consumer segments from healthcare, banking and financial services, confectionary and foods. However, this number has come down from 40-45 brands -- the number of products he was endorsing about five years ago. Still, his clout remains. Sources claim that he charged approximately Rs40crore for the entire deal with Colors for Big Boss season three (Rs2.25crore per episode).
But will the life cycle of brand Amitabh ever come to an end? Adman Santosh Padhi thinks that Amitabh knows how to constantly reinvent himself --- the secret to a lasting brand image. "He can never become outdated as long as he knows how to reinvent himself every now and then. That's the reason why he still gives all the younger stars a run for their money even today," he says.
Media professional Meenakshi Madhvani agrees and says, "Amitabh may go through cyclic ups and downs in life, but his image as a brand is very strong to simple fade away."
©2009 Diligent Media Corporation Ltd.
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