Star Power and Storytelling: Navigating the Celebrity Endorsement Game in India

Cricket and Bollywood are often described as religions in India, deeply ingrained in the country’s cultural fabric. Recognising this immense popularity, brands eagerly embrace top-class cricketers and Bollywood actors to promote their products and services. The power of these celebrities to influence consumers is undeniable, making them an obvious choice for brand endorsements.

A great example of this strategy is the recent Dream11 commercial for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Unlike traditional celebrity endorsements, this campaign takes an innovative and engaging approach. The ad, built around the theme “Aapki Team Mein Kaun?” (Who’s in your team?), brings together an impressive lineup of A-list Bollywood stars and cricketing icons, including Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Jackie Shroff, Arbaaz Khan, and more. The film cleverly plays on the rivalry between Bollywood’s Khans and Kapoor’s, turning it into an entertaining battle of egos, making it more than just another celebrity-driven campaign—it becomes a story that resonates with fans.
This must be a super heavy-budget campaign and must have cost a bomb to the brand. Bringing together such a stellar cast of Bollywood stars and cricketing icons doesn’t come cheap, and the production value itself seems top-notch. Besides, there’s also a huge media spend involved to ensure maximum visibility during the IPL season.

It does make you wonder how they plan to measure the ROI for such campaigns. While metrics like app downloads, user engagement, and fantasy team creation during the IPL would be obvious indicators, it’s still challenging to directly correlate such a massive spend with tangible returns. Plus, the long-term brand recall and affinity it creates might be hard to quantify immediately.

The Magnetic Appeal of Bollywood and Cricket

The immense popularity of Bollywood and cricket makes them ideal platforms for brand endorsements. Celebrities from these fields command a loyal fan base, making it easier for brands to gain visibility and connect emotionally with their audience. Their influence extends beyond entertainment, shaping consumer aspirations, lifestyle choices, and purchase decisions.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsements

While celebrity-driven campaigns generate buzz, their real impact lies in measurable business outcomes. Metrics such as increased sales, improved brand recall, higher customer engagement, and social media traction help determine their effectiveness. However, the success of a campaign depends not just on the star power but also on its authenticity, alignment with the brand’s values, and its ability to connect with the target audience.
The Growing Concern of Overexposure

With multiple brands using the same celebrities for endorsements, there is a risk of oversaturation and diminishing impact. When audiences see the same faces promoting various brands, the uniqueness and credibility of these associations weaken. Additionally, younger consumers today seek authenticity and relatability, pushing brands to explore fresh storytelling techniques beyond traditional endorsements.
The Power of a Strong Creative Idea

While celebrities add value to a campaign, they are not a substitute for strong creative thinking. The most successful brand campaigns are built on powerful ideas that resonate with the audience on an emotional level. A compelling message, engaging storytelling, or a unique execution strategy can often leave a lasting impression, proving that an impactful idea is more valuable than mere star appeal.

The Booming Celebrity Endorsement Market in India

The celebrity endorsement market in India is valued at approximately USD 300.5 million and is growing at a CAGR of 6.25%. Nearly 50% of advertisements feature celebrities, showcasing their strong influence on consumer behaviour. The rise of digital platforms and increasing consumerism have further fueled this trend, making endorsements a key marketing strategy for brands.
While celebrity endorsements remain a powerful marketing strategy, they come with challenges. One major issue is overexposure. When the same celebrity promotes multiple brands, it can lead to consumer fatigue and dilute the brand’s message, making it harder to create a distinct identity.

Challenges and the Way Forward

While celebrity endorsements remain a powerful marketing strategy, they come with challenges. One major issue is overexposure. When the same celebrity promotes multiple brands, it can lead to consumer fatigue and dilute the brand’s message, making it harder to create a distinct identity.
Today’s consumers, especially the younger generation, are increasingly skeptical of endorsements that feel forced or purely transactional. They value genuine connections and can quickly recognise when a celebrity’s association with a brand seems insincere. This shift has led brands to explore partnerships with relatable influencers rather than just big stars.

The cost factor is also significant. Top-tier cricketers and Bollywood stars demand high fees, which not all brands can afford. Moreover, the return on investment (ROI) can be unpredictable, as initial buzz may not always translate into long-term engagement.
To overcome these challenges, brands are adopting a multi-layered endorsement strategy that balances star power with micro-influencers. They are also focusing on purpose-driven campaigns that align celebrities with meaningful causes. By combining creative storytelling, digital engagement, and strategic celebrity selection, brands can make endorsements more impactful and relevant.

The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.

Ganapathy Viswanathan

Ganapathy Viswanathan brings over three decades of experience in Brand Communication, Public Relations, and Digital Marketing. He has worked with leading multinational advertising agencies, including Ogilvy, Lowe, and Mudra. In Public Relations, he served as General Manager (West) of 20 20 MSL (formerly 2020, Publicis Group), spearheading the western region operations. His last corporate role was as Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communication at Eureka Mobile Advertising, a London-based mobile marketing start-up in India. A prolific writer, Ganapathy was on the editorial board of Adgully. He is currently the Chief Mentor of Roarr Media Public Relations.