Celebrities endorsed toilet cleaners most; Akshay wins endorsement race

Akshay Kumar was the top celebrity to endorse a maximum number of categories, as he featured in ads of 36 brands

In India, the best way to sell a product is to make a celebrity endorse it. Even toilet products.

A new report stated that toilet and floor cleaners, with a nine per cent share of celebrity ad volumes, were among the top 10 categories that celebrities endorsed during the January-June 2022 period. Meanwhile, the top category for which maximum celebrities from different professions endorsed brands, was e-commerce gaming, a report by TAM Media Research’s Adex India stated. 

Other products that fell in the top category included aerated beverages, hair dyes, pan masala and washing powders and liquids.

Eight of the top 10 celebrities, namely Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Vidya Balan, Shahrukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Ranveer Singh, and Kareena Kapoor, advertised more companies from January-June 2022, compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, the celebritiy who endorsed maximum brands this year was MS Dhoni, added the report, which accounted for celebrities from Bollywood, the TV industry and sports personalities in India. The TAM Media's report only accounted for advertisements during commercial breaks. 

Over 50 per cent of ads were endorsed by the top three celebrity couples, Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna; Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan; and Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. While the top two couples endorsed 37 brands each, Kapoor and Bhatt together endorsed 29 brands. 

The report added that companies — for celebrity endorsement ads — preferred film stars with an overall larger share of ad volume, i.e, 84 per cent as compared to celebrities from other categories. 

Overall, Akshay Kumar was the top celebrity to endorse a maximum number of categories, as he featured in ads for 36 brands, one more than his last year's count. The 'Khiladi' actor was also the most visible star as average visibility stood at 37 hours a day across all channels. Amitabh Bachchan followed him with 18 hours per day. 

Bachchan, on the other hand, this year endorsed 37 brands this year as compared to 27 last year. Kumar and Bachchan were followed by Alia Bhatt, who endorsed 27 brands this year, against 17 last year's. Meanwhile, Dhoni and Anushka Sharma endorsed 41 and 11 brands this year, as both lost two brands this year. 

The report added that over 50 per cent of celebrities endorsed brands of food and beverages, services sector and personal care.