Emami on a spree to sign filmstars; begins with Shah Rukh Khan

When it comes to endorsing brands, there is growing competition between filmstars and cricketers and, of late, it seems that the Bollywood stars are getting an edge over the Indian cricket team.

Following the trend, Emami, which has traditionally used Amitabh Bachchan and cricketers such as Sourav Ganguly and Virendra Sehwag as its brand ambassadors, has now got Shah Rukh Khan to endorse one of its upcoming youth brands.

The company plans to sign on some more leading filmstars for several new products on the anvil in its personal-care segment.

Aditya V Agarwal, director, Emami, says, “The new product is targeted at the fun-loving, lifestyle oriented and trendy youth of today, and we needed an icon who is very popular with them.”

Agarwal adds, “We are seeking to further strengthen our relationship with today’s youth.”

Agarwal declined to disclose anything about the brand or the product, saying that it was a youth-oriented product, and they were targeting both the Indian and international markets.

Ambience Publicis and rmg david are handling the creatives for Emami, though it has not been ascertained yet who will be doing the Shah Rukh Khan campaign.

Speaking about the deal with Emami, Khan said, “I have found a lot of similarity between Emami and me. At 30, Emami represents the aggressiveness of youth complemented by the maturity of an adult. Emami respects their young consumers and plans to build young brand advocates. I have a number of young fans and I love them. I feel there will be great synergy in this association between Emami and me.”

Meanwhile, Emami also plans a massive incursion into the healthcare segment.

© 2005 agencyfaqs!