From Tiago to Byju's: How Indian brands pitched Messi as their global face

Tata Motors, Byju's and KT Grooming tapped Lionel Messi's global appeal over the years; experts say retirement could now make him more accessible to Indian brands

Lionel Messi has long been more than a footballing icon for advertisers: he is a global brand in his own right. Known as the G.O.A.T., the magician and La Pulga (“The Flea”, a Spanish nickname referring to his diminutive frame, low centre of gravity, and ability to dart past bigger defenders), Messi became a prized global face for brands seeking to reach beyond India. As he retires from football, however, his status as one of the world’s most valuable sports ambassadors could begin to change — even as retirement may make him more accessible to Indian brands.

 

Despite his global popularity and the potential to reach billions of football fans worldwide, only three Indian brands have so far signed Messi as their brand ambassador: Tata Motors in November 2015, Byju’s during its global expansion in November 2022, and men’s grooming and personal care startup KT Men in May. Experts, however, say retirement could make Messi more accessible to Indian brands.

 

According to Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, Messi is No. 3, with annual earnings of $140 million. About $70 million of this comes from off-field earnings, including endorsements and sponsorships. N Chandramouli, chief executive officer (CEO) of TRA Research, said Messi would continue to remain in the news for the next six to eight months, but his brand value would begin to decline after about a year because he would no longer be playing the sport.

 

Messi was among the first major global, non-cricketing faces for an Indian brand when Tata Motors signed him as the global brand ambassador for its entire passenger vehicle (PV) portfolio. Tata’s core idea was to reposition and globalise its PV brand, particularly among younger consumers. As part of this strategy, the Tata Tiago was the first model to be launched with Messi as its ambassador in April, under the Made of Great campaign. Its first advertisement, featuring the ‘Fantastico’ catchline, was an instant hit at the time. It took Tata Motors’ marketing team at least 16 months to strike the deal, while Messi was also looking for an ideal entry into the Indian market.

 

Byju’s, however, brought in the star for a different reason. According to a source aware of the development, the company was planning an initial public offering in the US at a potential valuation of $40-50 billion and saw Messi as the right face to build its brand in the US market. The deal was signed shortly after Byju’s became a World Cup sponsor in March 2022.

 

“Prior to listing in the US, the company wanted an immediate brand recall in the Latin American region. They were launching in 10 countries in that region, with special youth centres planned in Brazil and Mexico. Messi was brought in to help with this global branding,” said the source.

 

Reports suggested that Messi was signed for a $5 million deal. However, amid a liquidity crunch and mounting financial problems, the three-year deal was discontinued after a year.

 

In May, KT Grooming onboarded Messi as its brand ambassador for its active grooming range for men — the KT GOAT Edition — for a period of three years.

 

“Messi is the brand ambassador for athletic care and fitness across the world and he is called G.O.A.T. for a reason because people look up to him across age groups,” said Dhruv Sayani, founder, managing director and CEO of KT Lifestyle.

 

Sayani explained that Messi’s fitness, focus and attention to his game, along with the records he has set and his disciplined lifestyle, are what he signifies for most people. “When we decided to bring him on board as we were expanding our range into athletic care, we wanted to partner someone who embodies the three values he represents and hence the collection is called KT GOAT Edition,” he said.

 

Sayani said that, compared with other products in the company’s portfolio, KT GOAT Edition is growing at 1.5x the rate because of Messi’s presence as brand ambassador. He added that the collection is also a global line and is available in Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

 

“Indian brands could find him more accessible and there is a possibility that he could get more endorsements in India,” Chandramouli said. He also said a sportsperson becomes popular in India when the particular sport gains traction in the country. In the case of football, the sport gained huge traction about a decade ago, which has helped give Messi considerable brand value in India.

 

Among the major global brands with which Messi has tieups are Adidas, with which he has a lifetime deal, as well as PepsiCo, Budweiser, Mastercard, Apple, Konami, and Gillette, among others.