Amitabh Bachchan — the 700 cr brand!

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Brand Amitabh works for everything – from mass market hair oil to the finest textiles

French Director Francois Truffaut called him a one-man industry in the late-seventies, when eight of his films – released almost simultaneously – had an unprecedented success at the box office.

Thirty years later, Amitabh Bachhan has become a one-man brand – he is reportedly being paid Rs 126 crore (Rs 1.5 crore per episode) for his appearance as a pop-philosopher in the third edition of mega serial Bigg Boss that started yesterday. That’s 50 per cent more than the reigning superstars, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, who have been charging Rs 1 crore per episode for their TV shows.

Colors CEO Rajesh Kamat says the channel needed a “prophetic voice” that would be heard and taken seriously, if Bigg Boss has to be taken to the next level. And his team couldn’t think of anybody but Bachhan who could fit the bill.

Many of his counterparts in India Inc agree with Kamat – a reason why Percept Talent Management COO Vinita Bangard estimates Bachhan’s brand value at over Rs 700 crore. Reason: Brand Amitabh stands for a lot of things – credibility, icon, youth aspiration, global achiever etc, she says.

Bachchan now markets close to 19 brands across 14 categories – a substantial decline from the 40-plus brands in 2005 and 2006 when he was hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati. But look at the pull the mega brand still enjoys. Madison Group CEO Punitha Arumugam says the TV ratings and advertising revenues for Bigg Boss will increase by 33 per cent on the two days that Bachhan will appear on Bigg Boss every week . Arumugam says the response has been phenomenal considering that the hype goes down quite a bit for TV properties in their second or third season.

The biggest draw, experts say, is his pull across segments – from the mass market Navratna oil to the clothing option for the elite, Reid & Taylor. The categories he endorses range from healthcare (Dabur Chawanprash, Hajmola etc to Emami’s skincare and hair care brands like Boroplus) to banking, financial service and insurance (ICICI Bank and Max New York Life Insurance).

Bachhan’s association with Emami for three of its brands, for instance, fetches him Rs 3 to 4 crore per annum per brand. Likewise, the Dabur contract is pegged at Rs 10 crore per annum – a money that the companies consider well spent.

Emami Director Aditya Agarwal says, “the association with Bachchan has seen our brands double their sales in three years. His presence brings us eyeballs in a cluttered television medium and his larger than life presence adds credibility to our brands.”

Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director – South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather, the creative agency for brands like Cadbury and Max New York Life Insurance, decodes his appeal further. “Bachhan appeals to age groups of six to 60 in both India and Bharat. Also he has the ability to look straight into the eye and reach your heart,” says Pandey.

So, when there was a crisis in Cadbury or ICICI Bank, it was Bachhan they turned to. “We needed to get someone who would be able to deliver our message powerfully and appeal to our consumers. Bachchan fitted the bill,” says Cadbury Marketing Director Sanjay Purhohit. The rumour at Cadbury House then was that the only other person who could have come to the brand’s rescue was the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

For Dabur, Bachchan is the brand ambassador for its healthcare brands. Dabur CEO Sunil Duggal says, “At close to 70, Bachhan still lives life fully and that makes him an ideal choice for our brands.” However, the company has also recently signed Team India Captain M S Dhoni for its Rs 200 crore Dabur Chyawanprash brand. Duggal says that decision was taken in the interest of “business continuity”.

Experts say taking Bachhan as a brand ambassador is risk-free as he has gone way beyond the success or failure of his present films. McCann India Executive Chairman Prasoon Joshi says “today Bachchan has manifested himself in different ways through his voice, charm, personal credibility and family.”

Going by such praise from ad veterans, brand Amitabh is set for a longer innings.