NEW DELHI: Cricket may have been the flavour of the season with the back-to- back World Cup and IPL in the first half of this year, but top advertisers such as Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Idea Cellular and Panasonic have largely stuck to film actors to endorse their brands.
Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif emerged the most visible celebrity on television in terms of advertising volumes during January- June, according data from television ratings firm TAM. She was followed by Shah Rukh Khan, M S Dhoni and Kareena Kapoor Commenting on the study, Katrina Kaif said, "These studies are cyclical. What matters is consistent performance over the long term and this is what I choose to focus on, be it in my movies or my brands."
Consistency clearly is one thing most Indian cricketers lack as is visible from the Indian team's disastrous performance so far in its England tour. And, despite India's success in the world cup, only two cricketers, captain MS Dhoni and master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, made it to the Top 10 most visible celebrities.
"Bollywood stars definitely bring more recognition to a brand than others," said Mehul Choksi, MD of the country's largest jewellery maker Gitanjali Gems, which has hired Katrina Kaif to endorse its Nakshatra brand. Gitanjali Gems, which was among the top 10 advertisers on television in the first half of the year, however, paired cricketer Sreesant with actress Riya Sen to endorse its Rivaaz brand.
