Zen Mobile appoints Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador

The 10-month-old mobile brand, Zen Mobile, has appointed one of the oldest stars in Bollywood -- Amitabh Bachchan -- as its brand ambassador.

The company signed the veteran actor, as he fit the bill in terms of values and qualities the brand represents. "We want to be perceived as a company that offers quality products which are also durable; and we found those qualities in Bachchan. He is a person who is known for his quality, long-term commitment and has stayed over the years," Deepesh Gupta, MD, Zen Mobiles tells afaqs!.

The company plans to leverage its association with Bachchan through a media campaign, comprising print, TV, radio and BTL, with focus on print and TV. The campaign is expected to be on-air in about two months. Bates 141 is Zen Mobile's creative agency.

The company has a marketing budget of Rs 25-30 crore for the year and expects a turnover of about Rs 800 crore. It plans to sell about 4 lakh handsets in a month, whose prices range between Rs 1,400-7,000.

Zen Mobile is geared up to launch a slew of QWERTY and multimedia feature-rich mobile handsets, loaded with social networking experience, at an affordable price for the Indian market. The current focus of the company is to provide high-quality, touch-screen phones with high-end multimedia features.

Founded in September 2009, Zen Mobile is a sister concern of the Telecare group, which has 15 years of experience in managing and distributing various first-tier mobile brands.

Bachchan's brand endorsements include Pepsi, ICICI, Parker, Cadbury, Nerolac, Reid & Taylor, Dabur Hajmola, Rin, Himani Fast Relief, Navratna, Emami Boroplus and Eveready.