It is but human nature to crave for gossip. And just as everywhere the world over, our celebrities in India provide us with enough fodder. It doesn’t get any bigger than Bollywood when it comes to gossip in India. A very key part of this world of Bollywood gossip is linkups, real or imagined. But apart from the usual suspects (pretty much everyone), there’s another class of people that are always on the lookout for this information. That would be the marketers. Why you ask? Simply because the couples in question gain extra popularity (or notoriety) by the simple act of being together.
By getting these couples to endorse brands together, marketers aim to pull a coup of sorts. Not only does it add star power but it also lends even more credibility to the entire exercise. These endorsements are also especially useful when wider audiences are targeted or the unit of focus is the family. This is by virtue of the fact that each member of the couple appeals to a different audience (although the two do overlap as well). So we see Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan endorsing Head & Shoulders shampoo. Or Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor featuring in a Bru Lite coffee ad. Or Bipasha Basu and John Abraham lending their names to Wella Kolestint hair colour.
Yes, these examples were deliberate. The first couple is going strong. The second was rumoured. The third has parted ways. Please note that this information is true as of writing this post. The third situation mentioned can be problematic. The associations suddenly change. When the ad airs, the first thing that crosses the mind is that these two aren’t together any more. That is a deal breaker. So is it safer to take married celebrity pairs? Say Kajol and Ajay Devgn. Sure, it is safer. But although both are film stars in their own right, the pairing has to be in the news. That generally doesn’t happen when couples get married. We do have Gauri and Shah Rukh Khan endorsing D’Decor or Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan for Tanishq, but these are the exceptions generally.
Essentially, breakups are bad for endorsements. The breakup itself becomes a very strong association that is difficult to overcome. During such times, it is always better to make a clean break when it comes to the ad (after confirming the status with the concerned couple obviously). Relationships in tinsel town, as we all know, are very fickle. Hence, before even going into such deals, it is always better to have a contingency plan in case of such events. The other option is to have some sort of a clause that prevents the celebrities from making their breakups (if they happen) public for a certain period of time.
There is one other way to rope in multiple celebrities and that’s through bringing in completely unrelated ones. A case in point would be Deepika Padukone, Purab Kohli and Vir Das for Nescafe. In such cases, the idea is to create chemistry between the characters after the fact and build the associations over time. If done properly, these can work well and last longer too. But all said and done, they rarely sizzle as much as the ones that do the rounds among the gossip mongers. Think Kareena and Saif for Metro shoes versus Chitrangada and Saif for Brooke Bond Taj Mahal tea. The former has the added zing due to the real life pairing. But who knows what tomorrow holds?
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