Here's how Bollywood's Big B, Amitabh Bachchan, revolutionised the Indian ad industry

Bollywood veteran and Living Legend Amitabh Bachchan is celebrating his 80^th birth anniversary today. On this wonderful occasion, his contribution to the Indian advertising too needs to be celebrated as he has been a stalwart for the brands and has featured in countless endorsements over the course of his career.  

It should also be noted that despite turning 80, Bachchan’s popularity hasn’t diminished and continues to charm people across age categories, owing to his pan-India popularity Bachchan has also managed to stay relevant through the decades. 

According to the recent Brand Endorser Report by Hansa Research, Bachchan topped the overall list as the most recognised celebrity in the country with a very high All India rank. He ranks alongside Shah Rukh Khan, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli as one of India's most enduring and powerful human brands.

As he turns 80, on October 11, let’s dive into Bachchan's ad journey and his rising brand value.

Indian electronics company BPL

Bachchan began his career as an endorser in 1996 when he appeared in his first advertisement for the Indian electronics company BPL. The sole mission of this commercial was to foster a sense of nationalism and persuade consumers to purchase Indian goods. And who could have done it better other than the legend himself? 

Pepsi in the 2000s

Following this, in early 2000s Bachchan also started endorsing beverage brand Pepsi. His Pepsi ad is one of the most memorable ones from that period which remains clear in our mind. In this series of ads, Bachchan appeared in several iconic Pepsi advertisements from "Yeh Dil Maange More" to "Oye Bubbly.”

In some of the advertisements, Sachin Tendulkar and Arshad Warsi were also featured with Bachchan. As per reports, in 2002, Bachchan started his association with the brand. Later in 2014, he refused to endorse Pepsi any further after an incident that took place in a school in Jaipur when he was questioned by a little girl who asked him why he was promoting “Poison”, referring to the soft drink.

Polio: "Do boond zindagi ki” in 2005

Next comes the very famous campaign for Polio eradication, which was an initiative by UNICEF. Back in 2005, Bachchan was appointed as the ambassador of the campaign started by UNICEF for Polio vaccination. This was an initiative by the government to make an effort and convince rural people in India to vaccinate their children against Polio. 

With the help of this campaign, the unthinkable happened, and women and their kids began to swarm the immunisation camps and led to the campaign becoming a huge success. Amitabh Bachchan was also honoured by UNICEF for his contribution to the cause.

Gujarat Tourism

The Gujarat Tourism campaign called "Khushboo Gujarat Ki" featuring Amitabh Bachchan won the National Tourism Award 2011–12. The commercial featured Bachchan giving information about Gujarat's historical and religious sites, and urging audience to visit the state in a bid to promote tourism.  

"Breathe in a bit of Gujarat" is a line that grabs the audience's attention even now.

Cadbury in 2003

Back in 2003, Cadbury's went through a rough time as there were multiple reports of worms being found in chocolate bars. As per reports, the festival season became a nightmare for the company and they were fighting the accusations from the food and drug administration of India. 

Therefore, to eradicate these negative comments in the public, the brand roped in the legend Bachchan to discuss the steps the brand was taking to prevent contamination and how those steps were successful for them. 

Maggi Noodles

In 2012, Bachchan began endorsing the "2-minute" noodles brand. In the ad campaign, he promotes the 2-minute "happiness" that comes from eating the noodles in the commercials for the manufacturer of instant noodles which is again a memorable one. 

Parker pens

Not only this, in 2004, Luxor roped in Bachchan for featuring in their ads for Parker pen. His wit and sarcasm were used in the advertisements to pose the question, "Why to carry a pen that is not Parker?"

Covid-19 caller tune: Dawai Bhi, Kadaai bhi

During the pandemic, the coronavirus public service announcement recorded by Amitabh Bachchan became the de-facto caller tune for many of our phones. Multiple messages recorded by the veteran actor urged people to stay inside their homes, maintain Covid-19 guidelines, and more. 

“The new year has brought a new ray of hope in the form of vaccines. Vaccines developed in India are safe, effective and will provide immunity," one such audio message said.

The message was to appeal to the public to have faith in Indian vaccines. It urged people to not believe in rumours and continue with precautions.

https://youtu.be/WYzUIqaB528

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