What makes brands go gaga over celebrity kids?

Recently, Suhana Khan bagged her first brand endorsement deal. The daughter of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) became the face of L’Oréal’s cosmetic brand Maybelline New York. The brand said that the endorsement deal was an attempt to solidify its Gen Z connection. 

It is time and again proven that celebrity kids have a certain advantage when it comes to gaining popularity and fame. Just by virtue of being born in a celebrity family, the audience seems to  have a greater interest in their lives. While we have seen them getting movie roles due to this clout, the same has also become true when it comes to their entry to the brand endorsement world.

If recent trends are anything to go by, celebrity kids are getting big endorsement deals, even before the release of their debut films. Just look at Sanjay Kapoor’s daughter Shanaya, who’s the face of Madame Fragrances and Naturali skincare.

Jackie Shroff’s daughter Krishna is sports nutrition brand MuscleBlaze’s ambassador. Navya Naveli Nanda (Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter) endorses L’Oréal Paris, while Aryan Khan (SRK’s son) is sports brand Adidas’ ambassador.

While the celebrity kids always have it easy when it comes to their first break, there are a number of reasons that have made brand deals have followed suit for them. 

Brand and marketing consultant and columnist Sanjeev Kotnala says that India is a movie-magic country. Hence, anything associated with celebrities, including their children, is considered to be better. 

“The celebrity-brand relationship is primarily transactional. No one does something without expectation or careful consideration. Brands rope in celebrity kids because they’re in the limelight, prepared for the role, and have good faces and bodies," explains Kotnala.

It must be noted that this is a relatively new trend, as celebrity kids from the previous generation, like Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, etc., bagged their first brand endorsement deals only after their successful big screen launch. 

Sonya V Kapoor, founder, M5 Entertainment (a celebrity management agency), points out that these kids are already well known among the masses because of the popularity of their parents. 

Kapoor mentions, “Brand’s wish for higher recall value when their products are marketed. People should identify and buy their products. I already have so many brands approaching me for Suhana and Shanaya. They have a dedicated fan following and there’s interest around what’s happening in their lives."  

Besides the paparazzi being interested in them, celebrity kids are also relatively cost-effective.

As per industry experts, while an established celebrity (not a star) could command Rs 30-50 lakh per day, a celebrity kid could be signed for about 75% of this price. An A-lister, however, could demand anything from Rs 1-3 crore or even more, per day.

“Celebrity kids may also have a certain chutzpah,” says brand management and marketing expert Sanjeev Shukla. Comparing them to social media influencers, he mentions that in terms of sheer followers, there could be other known personalities in the same age group. However, they don’t lay claim to the class, nor do they reflect a certain chutzpah, without being labelled as arrogant.

“The loyal fans of celebrities, which of course is a massive number, tend to have a soft corner for their sons or daughters. Celebrity kids are like prince and princesses of the kings and queens that the audiences have bowed down to, for generations,” Shukla adds.

It is clear that the star kid cannot be detached from their star parents. And hence, there can also be chances when a brand gets bonus marketing because of this situation. For example, SRK took to social media to congratulate Suhana when the latter became Maybelline’s ambassador.

Kotnala points out that these brand endorsement deals can sometimes become an investment or else a gamble where the brand thinks the star kid ends up delivering more. 

Brands in the fashion and beauty, lifestyle, and health and wellness categories, seem to be more attracted to celeb kids. The reason for this could be that these categories appeal more to Gen Z, who can easily relate with celeb kids.