The latest gen next guy to break into the endorsement circuit is Aditya Roy Kapur. His new hair product commercial shows why actually it's the younger lot who will be gaining focus in the brand world. The ad is fresh, good looking and has the X factor that comes with being young and single. The appeal is real and not a manufactured one.

The scene is shifting rapidly. While the Khans are still unchallenged, the newer lot is making their own space. Something that is immensely supported by the social factors of a young consumer market like India.

A sea change has been witnessed in the strategies and approach of the brand owners in today's scenario.


Earlier, the Khans and other actors with a series of successful films behind them, were the undisputed winners when it came to being the faces of leading brands.

A lot has changed now and more and more brand companies are seen investing in the young stars of the industry as well.

Following are some of the reasons behind this phase two.

Freshness: Be it Alia Bhatt or Shraddha Kapoor, young actors who have replaced the older ones bring freshness to the brand along with them. They are ready to experiment, innovate and try new things. So, when any brand looks at a revamp, their first choice is to opt for a younger brand ambassador.

Popularity: Young stars like Sidharth Malhotra have a huge fan following. They are also more connected to their fans through the social media platforms which is a huge benefit for the brands.


Saves cost Unlike the Khans and other super successful actors, the young actors charge way lesser thereby helping the brand save their overall cost which can be utilized for further marketing.

Marketing strategist Prabhat Choudhary says, "Brands need to make themselves relevant to this (young) consumer group. While the appeal of the Khans remains unchallenged, there is a whole lot of endorsements that Bollywood's young brigade is bagging. Interestingly, this is not just limited to the metro audiences, but smaller towns are also very much a part of this change."

Long term investment: The shelf life of the young actors like Aditya Roy Kapur and Varun Dhawan is way more than that of the senior actors. So they are like long term assets whose benefits can be reaped for a longer period of time.

Youth connect and Relatability factor - With the target market of most of the brands being the youth, these young stars of the industry are the best options for endorsement. They have a very strong youth connect and high level of relatability.


Tried and tested: There has been an upsurge in the sales of products that are being endorsed by these young stars. The value that they bring to the brand is proving to be very beneficial to the brand which is why we see the trend changing.

Anirban Blah, who heads a celebrity and sports management agency says in a young country like India, it is natural for brands to look for youth icons. "Ranbir Kapoor is the first choice to reach out to consumers. For a college-goer, a Tiger Shroff is more relatable than an older star. But someone like Shah Rukh Khan has a universal reach which cannot be easily matched," he states.