Coca-Cola gives Salman Khan a thumbs-down
NEW DELHI: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is no longer the brand ambassador for beverage giant Coca-Cola India.
The company dropped Khan him as the brand ambassador for its soft drink ‘Thums Up’ after four years of association. The contract with Khan had expired last month and the company has chosen not to renew it due to actor’s association with reality show, Bigg Boss.
A joint statement released by Salman and Coca-Cola India on Wednesday night clarified that Khan was committed to an existing relationship with a daily TV show, which this year happens to be sponsored by a brand that competes with the Coca-Cola India product portfolio. “In light of this, both parties have mutually decided not to renew the current contract,” said the statement.
While the statement did not mention the name of the show and the competition brand, Salman-anchored Bigg Boss, a reality show based on Big Brother and developed by Netherlands-based Endemol, has signed up Parle Agro’s carbonated apple juice brand Appy Fizz as the show’s main sponsor, ending its two-year association with online retailer Snapdeal.
Parle Agro will pay Colors between `35 crore and `45 crore for the season, as per the media buyers. According to industry sources, the cola giant is in talks with Ranveer Singh to replace Khan. However, the company did not divulge details. Coca-Cola India had roped in Salman as its ambassador for the second time to endorse its Thums Up brand
in October 2012.