After Virushka and DeepVeer, a new power couple is set to storm the endorsement circuit. With Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor tying the knot on Thursday, experts said they are likely to see a surge in their brand valuations, with advertisers expected to cash in on the buzz around this celebrity couple.
Fresh from the success of Gangubai Kathiawadi at the box office, Bhatt has been ranked as the most-valued female celebrity in the country with a brand valuation estimated at $68.1 million, according to a report released by Kroll recently. Overall, she bagged the fourth spot in Kroll’s celebrity brand valuation report 2021. Meanwhile, Ranbir Kapoor, too, featured in the top 20 celebs list, and was ranked 17th with a brand valuation pegged at about $26.7 million.
Brand strategist Harish Bijoor said: “I do believe Alia and Ranbir can aspire to be that pure Bollywood pair to challenge the rankings of Virat & Anushka or for that matter the Deepika & Ranveer combo. In this game of power-couple brand endorsers it’s all about the chemistry they can bring together for brands. Out here, one plus one is never two. It is five.”
In fact, the two actors were seen together in an ad campaign for Flipkart recently. In November, the e-commerce marketplace had launched the sixth edition of its India Ka Fashion Capital ad campaign, featuring both Bhatt and Kapoor. The two Bollywood celebs will also be starring in the upcoming fantasy adventure film Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva slated for a September release. This will be their first film together, an ambitious project that will be released in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
Aviral Jain, Managing Director, Kroll said that brands and marketers have in recent times been increasingly looking at opportunities to leverage on the popularity of celebrity couples. “Their (Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor) wedding buzz is at an all-time high. While both Bhatt and Kapoor have their own portfolio of brands, they are expected to also get to do new endorsements together.”
“Brand values are driven by multiple factors including the number and size of endorsements. It is also driven by digital presence, social media followership and engagement rate. With them coming together, I am sure these factors will become stronger, especially the brand portfolio,” Jain added.
Even before the wedding, Bhatt and Kapoor were ranked fourth in a survey on India’s top power couples released by the Indian Institute of Human Brands in December.
Sandeep Goyal, Managing Director, Rediffusion, and Chief Mentor, Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB), said: “RanAlia are a power couple for sure. They both have a lot of urban swag and that is attractive for brands that will look at targeting new-age and millennial consumers.” He added that a lot will also depend on the success of their future movie releases for the brands to be able to cash in on the buzz around this celebrity couple.”