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| Olympians ride the gravy train |
| Mihir Mishra / New Delhi Nov 12, 2008, 00:12 IST |
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ENDORSEMENTS: Ads with medalists to start flowing soon.
The impressive show they put up at the Beijing Olympics (August 6-24) has now started turning into endorsement money for shooter Abhinav Bindra (gold), pugilist Vijender Kumar (bronze) and wrestler Sushil Kumar (bronze). Several companies have taken them on as their brand ambassadors and many more are in queue.
Bindra, it is learnt, charges as much as a top cricketer for brand endorsements. He may not be in the same league as Sachin Tendulkar or Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but compares favourably with the likes of Yuvraj Singh or Sourav Ganguly. He can already be seen in Samsung LCD TV ads and has been signed on by another half-a-dozen brands. Experts say he oozes upper-crust charm and is better suited for top-end products and brands.
Vijender Kumar, a product of the awesome Bhiwani boxing factory, appears in Bajaj Allianz ads and has another two-three contracts in his bag. The man with the dashing good looks charges Rs 60 lakh in fees. Experts say he represents strength and stability — attributes chased a lot by companies in these turbulent times. Sushil Kumar charges upwards of Rs 20 lakh and has six endorsements under his belt including Eicher, Sahara, and Body Fuelz. His USP: Earthy charm that may appeal to rural customers.
Shuttler Saina Nehwal, who reached the quarter finals at Beijing and subsequently won at least two championships, it is learnt, now charges Rs 30 lakh per endorsement, though it is still way short of Sania Mirza’s fees of Rs 1.5 crore. Nehwal is close to breaking into the top ten world rankings, which will give a boost to her image and, hopefully, her fees as well.
For the first time ever, celebrity managers and brand marketers have an array of sportspersons to choose from. For long, brands looking for sportspersons had no option but to sign on cricketers. There were some exceptions like Dhanraj Pillai, Viswanathan Anand, Geet Sethi and Sania Mirza. But, at the end, cricketers always ruled the roost.
“Brands go for the sport that commands more exposure and a large number of viewership and this is where cricketers get an edge over other sportspersons,” says Percept COO Vinita Bangard. The company has cricketers like Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh on its list of clients.
But some companies think these Olympians help break the clutter of cricket and films. Samsung, which has for long stayed away from celebrity endorsement, may use Bindra for other products as well. Bindra and Samsung go a long way — the shooter was one of the sportsmen Samsung had sponsored for the Olympics. So, few were surprised when Bindra, shy and reticent, appeared in an ad for the consumer electronics giant.
Celebrity management firm B Formula Entertainment, which has signed on Bindra, claims to have advertisements for about five more brands ready, which will soon be aired. The company’s managing director, Bonny Duggal, says, “Many brands want to endorse Bindra. But he does not want to do every other ad which comes his way.”
In Vijender Kumar’s case, the celebrity management company, IOS Sport, claims a few more deals are under process and he will soon be seen advertising for them. “Apart from Bajaj Allianz, he has a few more brand with him and the ads will soon be unveiled,” says the CEO of IOS Sport, Nirav Tomal.
For Sushil Kumar, the countdown is about to begin. People close to the wrestler say he has already got three endorsements till date and three more are in the works. His first ad, for Eicher, will be released nationwide from November 15. But, with the resurgence in Indian cricket under Dhoni, will the honeymoon of brands with the Olympians last? That is more than a million-dollar question.
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