The case of Kajol's 'missing' social media: Celeb brands & their gimmicks

Earlier this month, a tidal wave of frenzy engulfed Bollywood fanatics as actor Kajol shared a cryptic message on her Instagram handle that read, “Facing one of the toughest trials of my life”. In the accompanying caption, she wrote, “Taking a break from social media”. It turned out to be a marketing gimmick, similar to the kind actor Anushka Sharma had pulled off in December last year, when she had called out Puma for using her image without her consent for an end-of-season sale. 

A common thread in these events is the display of an exaggerated theatrical flair for marketing, often reaching into the realm of “too much” for the audience.

For Kajol, what appeared to be a hint of going through a personal test, was revealed, later, to be a marketing gimmick for her upcoming digital debut, “The Trial” — an Indian adaptation of the American drama series "The Good Wife". Meanwhile, Sharma’s contentious post was followed by a ludicrous announcement of Puma India signing her up as its new brand ambassador. 

While these gimmicks might have helped in strategically gaining attention for the respective products, these have been potentially at the cost of manipulation of fans’ emotions. While some users were able to deduce this to be an advertising scheme, some supporters of the celebrities were left aghast at the commercialisation of the respective products at the expense of their sincerity. 

Crying wolf

Experts believe that for celebrities, anything that can get the attention of people is okay. “What looks gimmicky to the outside world is actually what celebrities want — to be the centre of attention. If it is gimmicks that yield enhanced attention, then so be it,” says Sandeep Goyal, managing director, Rediffusion. 

Earlier this year, actor Ranbir Kapoor was in the news for allegedly throwing away a fan’s smartphone. It later turned out to be a promotional gimmick for Oppo’s newly launched Reno8 T 5G phone. Celebrities flow with the tide, hardly using discretion in these matters. 

In March 2022, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle had to issue a clarification on Twitter after fans were left worried when Bhogle suddenly disappeared during an Instagram live session. The live session ended abruptly. Turns out, the whole thing was a planned promotional activity for Fantasy Akhada, a fantasy sports platform. Bhogle was ‘abducted’ for his insights in the game of cricket.

“Most celebrities are guided by half-baked agents and pushy intermediaries who coax them to do patently silly stuff. Their inner coteries are focused only on revenue generation and sullying of image is rarely on their radar,” Goyal asserts.

Affecting brand image

Unless the brand advertised isn’t ensnared in a serious scandal, the celebrity’s image remains largely untouched. “If the brand advertised ends up in a controversy, closely linked celebrities can have an impact,” says Samit Sinha, founder and managing partner of Alchemist Brand Consulting.

Back in 2016, former Indian captain of the Indian cricket team, MS Dhoni, resigned as brand ambassador of realty firm Amrapali after unhappy residents of its housing project launched a campaign demanding that the cricketer dissociate from the brand. 

According to brand gurus, most celebrities give more importance to life in their chosen field than life in the limelight. To a sporting icon, performance on the sports field is more important. Similarly, actors are more concerned about the box-office performance and the collection of their movies. “Celebrities have a shelf-life; the attempt in the limited time is to encash as much as possible,” Sinha believes.