Celebrating his 50th birthday today is India's beloved 'Greek God,' Hrithik Roshan. Widely recognised as Bollywood’s fitness icon, he also stands out as one of the most reliable and sought-after personalities in the realm of advertising.
The ‘Fighter’ actor ranked ninth in the list of top 25 celebrities with a brand valuation of USD 71.6 million in Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2022.
Throughout his extensive journey spanning over two decades in Bollywood, the actor has delivered a multitude of blockbuster successes. These include Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, Mission Kashmir, Fiza, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Krrish, Dhoom 2, Jodhaa Akbar, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Agneepath, War and Super 30.
In the Indian advertising landscape, he has lent his face as the brand ambassador and endorser to several brands like Zebronics, Bisk Farm, Probus Insurance, Zomato, Mountain Dew, Beardo, Games24x7, Myntra and Arrow.
In addition to his role as an endorser and brand ambassador, Roshan launched his own fitness brand, HRX in 2013.
HRX
Notably, HRX is under the ownership of Roshan and Exceed Entertainment.
Roshan conceived the idea for this brand with the vision of inspiring individuals to prioritise fitness and encouraging them to strive for their optimal selves. The brand made its debut on Myntra, initially focusing on athleisure clothing. Over time, it attained numerous milestones, expanding its product line to include footwear, eyewear, and various accessories. Now, it has also forayed into the sports fitness equipment category.
In 2017, the brand forged a strategic partnership with Cult.fit (formerly Cure Fit) and launched the first-ever celebrity designed HRX workout across Cult centres in India.
Recently, the brand collaborated with Eatfit and successfully unveiled HRX Cafe in Mumbai, designed to inspire and assist individuals in embracing a health-conscious and active lifestyle, presenting a diverse range of protein-rich culinary choices.
MyFitness
Peanut butter brand MyFitness announced its collaboration with Roshan as its brand ambassador last year.
Most recently, the brand released an ad film featuring Roshan. The actor was seen promoting their chocolate-flavoured peanut butter.
Ferrero India
Ferrero India, part of Ferrero Group, recently unveiled a Christmas campaign featuring Roshan for Ferrero Rocher. In the Rocher Christmas film, Roshan invited viewers into his festive haven, adorned with Christmas decorations. Expressing his family's deep love for Christmas, especially for gifts, Roshan revealed the perfect gift to light up their Christmas with Ferrero Rocher.
Hero Motocorp
Roshan returned as the brand ambassador for new Hero Karizma XMR, which was unveiled in August last year.
Even a decade later, his promotional campaign for the Hero Honda Karizma still commands remarkable recognition. The initial advertisement, launched around 2003 coinciding with Roshan's appointment as the brand ambassador, continues to resonate powerfully even today.
BeatXP
Roshan joined BeatXP as their brand ambassador in August 2023. Roshan's alignment with BeatXP is poised to fortify the brand's standing in the body massager domain.
Burger King
Burger King India onboarded Roshan as its brand ambassador in 2022. Back then, the brand featured the actor to highlight its summer menu. The film, which made rounds on social media, showcased how Burger King India pranked Roshan to promote the menu.
Mobil
Mobil announced the Bollywood superstar as its new brand ambassador last year. The company said that Roshan emerged as the obvious choice to highlight Mobil’s brand values of driving human progress, building confidence, and enabling customers to unlock their true potential.
Clear
Clear, the packaged drinking water company roped in Roshan as its brand ambassador and through this partnership aimed at expanding its reach and building awareness.
By joining hands with Hrithik Roshan, the brand aims to draw parallels between the superstar's versatility and commitment to excellence with that of its products, the company stated.
Mountain Dew
PepsiCo roped in Roshan as brand ambassador for Mountain Dew in 2013. Last year, Mountain Dew launched their new film featuring Roshan who was seen performing a high-octane stunt. The campaign aimed to extend the brand's 'Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai' positioning across its consumers in India.
Zomato
Zomato’s ‘Mann Kiya, Zomato Kiya’- Zomato launched an AI-powered campaign highlighting the app’s local reach in the country. The ad featured Hrithik Roshan playing a ‘spy’ on a mission with his teammates hiding in a van. That’s when they hear a knock on the van’s door only to find a Zomato delivery executive delivering the order.
It shows the actor ordering appetising dishes from popular restaurants using the viewer’s real-time location.
However, the ad landed in controversy after one of the versions of the ad showed the actor saying, “Thali Ka Mann Kiya…. Ujjain Main Hai, Toh Mahakal Se Manga Liya”. According to many, it hurt the religious sentiments of the people as the locals refer to the famous Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple as Mahakal. Zomato later clarified that the ad distributed in specific pin codes of Ujjain referenced ‘thalis’ at ‘Mahakal Restaurant’ and not the temple. The brand eventually withdrew the ad.