THE MAKING OF BRAND VARUN DHAWAN
Nearly six years since his debut, big brands are making a beeline for the young actor. What is driving his popularity as an endorser?
In the past six months, chances are that Varun Dhawan has leapt off a screen or hoarding near you selling everything from backpacks and adhesives to hair gel and beard styling products. The young actor who is believed to charge close to ~750 million a year (for a 3-day commitment), has turned into a popular choice for big, mainstream brands. Hindustan Unilever has signed him for its men’s hairstyling line Brylcreem and Fashion Big Bazaar from the Future group has him curating an eponymous apparel line. And he has become the face of the government’s Skill India initiative. What makes Dhawan the flavour of the season?
One of the big advantages according to brand experts is that Dhawan, despite the years that he has spent in the industry, is a relatively underexposed face as an endorser. Although he has steadily signed endorsement deals since his debut in 2012 in ‘ Student of the year (SOTY)’, his brands have largely played to a low pitch. The narrative has shifted in 2018; there has been increased action from old brands in the Dhawan line-up such as Skybags and Philips, while new brands such as Brylcreem and ResiQuick have launched high decibel campaigns across all media.
With ten films, Dhawan is a known face in films today. Besides, he has an enviable track record at the box office, with eight of his films being profitable. However his endorsement fee is still to match that of other Bollywood celebrity endorsers, say brand managers.
Dhawan currently endorses around eight brands. His first endorsement was in 2012, soon after his debut, when Coca-Cola India signed him on with the rest of the SOTY cast, Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. “What works in Varun’s favour is that he is fairly underexposed as of now. Unlike Ranveer (Singh) or even Ranbir (Kapoor), he has not done as many brands,” says Harish Bijoor, founder Harish Bijoor Consults.
He may not be as visible, but the brands signing him up say that he is a known name and ensures instant recall on social media platforms. Astral Adhesives that has released a series of short digital films with Dhawan to launch ResiQuick that takes on market leader Fevicol in the adhesives market said that he stands for ‘surprise and delight’. For a new product that is challenging an established player, it was important to have a face that is not just popular but also stands out for his associations and movies, the company said at the launch.
Even the older stars in the business today are over-leveraged, according to Bijoor. Shah Rukh, Salman and Amitabh, they have endorsed everything under the sun, he adds. It helps that Dhawan has largely played the ‘boy next door’ character in his films so far, with the exception of Badlapur (2015) and October (2018). This also makes him a non-controversial choice for brands.
In the long run, however, the fact that he has helmed sleeper hits in Bollywood could work in his favour. But until then, Brand Varun Dhawan stands for “Friendly, hardworking, nice-guy,” says Sandeep Goyal, founder, Mogae Media.
Dhawan’s endorsement fees are estimated in the range of ~250-300 million per day per brand. This is on a par with star badminton player P V Sindhu, say industry sources, but lower than that charged by many of his fellow actor-endorsers.
Industry sources suggest that the actor did try to hike his fees post the success of his 2017 release Judwaa 2 (net domestic box office ~1.3 billion). Brands, however, did not bite and the actor was forced to rationalise his endorsement fee as a consequence.
This could be a challenge in the future, too, given that he has a number of competitors to contend with. Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor appeal to the same demographic as does Virat Kohli and even some of the emerging stars in the team.
“Varun lacks oomph. He has more middle-class appeal; more appeal in A-class towns than metros,” says Goyal. This could keep the premium labels away from Dhawan, drawing in largely brands looking to break into the hinterland or make a big splash with a new launch.
“This is something that actors like Govinda and Salman (Khan) have faced. Both were, at their peak, box office magnets. However, not many, if any, premium or luxury brands opted for either since the perception for both is that of mass appeal. In case of Varun, any mid-market brand, irrespective of the category, would consider him, but the high end ones, at least for now, will stay away,” Bijoor adds.
Dhawan could turn the tide if he continues to experiment with his films, says the brand manager of a rival actor. “He has shown that he has the gumption to go off the beaten path. His next film, Sui Dhaga, is different from the projects that audiences associate him with. With time and some grooming, he could develop his following in the affluent sections of the audience,” he adds.