Celebrity endorsements

At a time when jewellery ads were seen as the prerogative of female models, Malabar Gold & Diamonds chose to work with regional south Indian male film celebrities to up their brand awareness in the markets they were present in.

Beginning with Kerala’s reigning superstar Mohanlal in its initial marketing campaign, the brand also subsequently roped in Puneeth Rajkumar in Karnataka, Junior NTR in Andhra Pradesh and Suriya and music composer Ilaiyaraaja in Tamil Nadu.

‘As gold jewellery purchasing is generally seen as a collective family decision, our brand ambassadors were chosen to propagate the brand’s promises and thereby drive our growth in existing and new markets,’ explains Shamlal Ahamed.

‘Once this awareness was created and the brand’s quality and credibility began to inspire confidence among consumers, female celebrities were chosen to showcase the array of the brand’s designs and craftsmanship.’

Jewellery is an aspirational product and celebrities have the aura and charisma to pull consumers towards a brand, he adds. ‘

Advertisements with celebrities drive sales and brand recall and creates a deeper connect with the target audience. So, it was to Bollywood that we turned to when we wanted a pan-India face to launch our collections across India and move into the north Indian market,’ he says, explaining how Kareena Kapoor (above) came to be the brand ambassador for Malabar Gold & Diamonds.

As an actress and style icon, Kareena has always set a benchmark through her chic trend quotient, he adds. ‘She is noted for her elegance, style and individuality – all of which perfectly complements our brand.’