From Airtel to SpiceJet: Brands gather around for the Rajini stardust

Airtel, Bookmyshow, SpiceJet, Cadbury and several other brands have hitched their wagons onto the superstar's upcoming cop thriller Darbar

Neither age nor appearance, it seems, can dim the power of Brand Rajnikanth. Forty five years after his debut in Tamil movies, the 69-year-old actor whose looks and attitude belie that of a typical movie star, still gets brands all shiny-eyed and eager before a new release. His new movie Darbar hits theatres this week and producers said, brands have been lining up for months, keen to be a part of the reclusive star’s haloed circle. 

With his huge sway across generations, not just in the South but across the country and among the diaspora across the world, Rajinikanth is gold dust in the endorsement circuit. However, given the actor’s steadfast refusal to endorse any product, movies and the memes and jokes around his superpowers, are the only way that brands can leverage his fabled reach. 

Darbar producers Lyca Productions say that they already have four big brands and a slew of small local labels on board. Airtel, Bookmyshow, SpiceJet and Cadbury (Mondelez) have lined up national campaigns around the movie, hoping to cash in on the fanatic fervour such an event usually generates.

Manoj Murali, CEO-Bharti Airtel, Tamil Nadu & Kerala says, “In this, we don’t make money at all. I give content free to my customers. For them, it is a reason to watch Airtel and stick with the brand.” In the past, Airtel has tied up with his other movies Kabali and Kaala too. Murali explains that such is the famed Rajini appeal that many will sign up for the Airtel Xstream app just to watch Thalaivar (as fans call him). 

Darbar is an ‘action thriller’ directed by A R Murugadoss. It will release on Thursday, in around 7,000 screens in India and overseas. Airtel is running quizzes and special offers around the hero and the movie, Bookmyshow has special discounts and SpiceJet has designed exclusive livery using Rajinikanth’s character in the film. Mondelez will cash in on the association through its advertising (on-ground) and other media.

Along with the traditional branding opportunities that the association throws up, brands are also jumping into the social media chatter around the movie. A picture of the SpiceJet aircraft with attendant Darbar branding was shared by Anirudh, the music director of the film and Rajinikanth’s nephew, on Instagram.  

“The tie ups mainly help us in managing the media spend. It is a win-win situation (for brands and the movie producers),” says P Kannan, COO of Lyca Productions. Lycaa has been a part of earlier Rajinikanth productions too and said that brand associations are a vital part of movie making. 

Ranked 13 on the 2019 Forbes India Celebrity 100, Rajinikanth enjoys a cultish status among movie stars today. His popularity is not limited to the South, nor is his appeal restricted to audiences of a certain age. Experts said, Brand Rajinikanth has made a smooth transition into the digital age. Through witty memes and spoofs of his superhero antics, he is a familiar name even to those who may never have watched his movies. There are at least 5-7 fan clubs with membership running into millions that post close to 100 posts a day, many of which are simply an expression of their devotion to the man. 

Brands want to find their way into the aura around Rajinikanth and given his refusal to put his face to their labels, movies are their only way in. Two chartered accountants-cum-authors, P C Balasubramaniam and Ram N Ramakrishnan who have co-authored a book called Grand Brand Rajini, explain the phenomenon that he is thus: “Brand Rajini sells itself. The products are secondary. His fans don't go to watch the films. They go to watch him.”