Ranbir Kapoor signs on as new brand ambassador of Tag Heuer

Ranbir Kapoor has just been signed up as the brand ambassador of Tag Heuer, a brand hitherto endorsed solely by Shah Rukh Khan in India. Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor are the new faces of Royal Stag that was so far exclusively SRK and Saif Ali Khan's domain. Badshah Khan will continue to be a part both the watch and the liquor brand.

With brands increasingly targetting the younger crowd or teenagers, they look for actors with a youth appeal and a cool image, especially when it comes to tech, colas and gadgets.

And while the old guard always gives way to the new over a period of time, this total hijacking of brands is a recent phenomenon, feel ad gurus. Says Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media, a media insights firm, "This happens every time the generation changes. However, in the past one year, several female stars have done well and advertisers have more options. After 2007, when Deepika Padukone burst into the scene with Om Shanti Om, not many did phenomenally well. There's Sonakshi Sinha, but she has more of a mass appeal. Alia and Parineeti have a youth connect. We track celeb popularity and in July, Alia has not only made an entry into the top 10 list, but she is at No.5, while Parineeti Chopra is at No.10. Usually, it takes celebrities at least five years to make it to the list!"

Ask him what is the status among the male celebs and Kapoor says, "Forty-plus stars like Salman Khan, SRK, Aamir, etc with the exception of Ranbir Kapoor, are still ruling the roost, but now younger actors like Ranveer Singh and Siddharth Malhotra whose movies have started doing well have started coming in. In fact, Varun Dhawan has made it the list at No.10. This shift has happened in the last one year. " He also points out that sometimes the star may not be interested in renewing the contract or the brand may be re-thinking the strategy depending on the pricing. Young actors tend to be more affordable.

Ad filmmaker, writer and lyricist Prasoon Joshi, however, reckons that advertising always seeks novelty. "They never go by younger or older, but who fits the bill and who can stir up the imagination. Sometimes a brand tries to refresh the packaging changes or they introduce different variants of the product. Of course, popularity and likeability are important factors," he adds. And yet, a brand like L'oreal which has Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the brand ambassador felt the need to rope in younger actresses like Katrina Kaif and Sonam Kapoor too! "It's like a family. There are different reasons – somebody brings in glamour, somebody gets charm, excitement, affability etc," says Prasoon, whose agency handles the L'oreal account.

But brand expert, Harish Bijoor says that advertisers feel fresh face is always better. "Older faces are over-exposed. The periodicity of the need and demand for younger faces is shortening. Earlier females had a shelf life of seven years in the ad market, but now has reduced to four. Men continue to rule for nine years."

Here's looking at the GenNext that has taken over from the old brigade...

Alia Bhatt: On the verge of creating a record of sorts. And not just with films - three releases within a year of debuting - but also with endorsements. She has become the face of every other product ranging from beauty, cold drinks to electronics. Has replaced her idol Kareena Kapoor as the ambassador of Philips and Priyanka Chopra in both Garnier and Scooty.

Parineeti Chopra: Since Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, Pari's been consistent, though not as successful in films. However, she's much sought-after in the ad circuit. Pari replaced Juhi Chawla in the Kurkure ad and has become the face of Pantene, which hitherto had Katrina Kaif doing the honours.

Sushant Singh Rajput: It didn't take long for the Kai Po Che actor to bag an endorsement deal after his film was a hit. He replaced John Abraham as the face of Garnier's skin range for men. He also bagged the Pepsi ad when the brand launched a new beverage. He had said the deal was special because both he and the beverage made their debut last year!

Anushka Sharma: The Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi actor snatched quite a few commercials from her seniors as soon as she entered Bollywood. She became the brand ambassador for Clean & Clear, replacing John Abraham and Bipasha Basu, who endorsed it for the longest. Her spunky attitude also got her the TVS Scooty ad, which was earlier exclusively Preity Zinta's. The latest was the Bru commercial which had her replacing Priyanka Chopra.

Arjun Kapoor: The 2 States actor may have made a late entry into the ad market, but is now taking over quickly. He has replaced John Abraham as the face of Philips Shaver and is the face of Flying Machine, a brand earlier endorsed by Virat Kohli.