Dharmendra in ads: How the ‘He-Man’ became the face of tractors, tonics and tourism

New Delhi: Dharmendra, who passed away in Mumbai on November 24 at the age of 89, leaves behind not just an iconic filmography but also a distinct legacy in Indian advertising.

His death has brought back memories of his towering work in Hindi cinema, but it has also reopened a chapter that often gets overlooked, his long and steady presence in Indian advertising.

Decades before celebrity endorsements became a structured business, Dharmendra was already the reassuring face on tractor commercials, tonics, tourism campaigns and a range of mass-market products that spoke directly to India beyond the metros.

For nearly forty years, he featured in commercials and print ads that drew from the persona audiences knew so well — strong, dependable and grounded.

At a time when much of national advertising was urban in tone, he connected with viewers in smaller towns and rural markets with an ease very few stars could match. His endorsements helped brands reach an audience the industry was only beginning to understand.

Among his most iconic associations was with Ford New Holland tractors. The ads, shot in wide fields and rustic settings, positioned him as the hands-on farmer who vouched for the tractor’s strength and reliability. The films felt authentic because they mirrored his own Punjabi roots, and later versions featuring Sunny Deol turned the campaigns into stories of family, continuity and farm pride.

He also carried his mass appeal into beverage advertising, most notably the Bagpiper campaigns. These films, set in festive, rural environments, leaned on his charisma rather than glamour, giving the brand a deep foothold in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets.

His print work travelled even further. Beedi and tobacco pack prints featuring Dharmendra and Hema Malini became staples across rural bazaars through the 1970s and 1980s. These small, everyday pack shots, now resurfacing online, show how firmly film stars were woven into India’s consumption habits long before glossy magazine advertising took over.

Dharmendra also lent his face to family-oriented and public-interest messages. His association with the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), promoting eggs as affordable nutrition, remains one of the earliest examples of a big star being used for a mass, category-building campaign. He endorsed chawanprash brands too, tying in his enduring image of health and vitality.

His relevance did not fade with age. In 2013, Okaya Power brought him on board to endorse its inverters and batteries, campaigns built on trust and reassurance. His work with Haryana Tourism, often with Hema Malini, tapped into his north Indian identity to showcase the state’s culture and warmth. Smaller tractor brands such as Shri Dev Tractors also referenced him as a trusted user, keeping his connection with agrarian India alive well into the 2000s.

What made Dharmendra stand out in advertising was not just the variety of categories he fronted, but the way brands used him. He wasn’t brought in as a decorative celebrity. He was placed at the centre, as someone who genuinely fit the product’s story. At a time when stars worried that commercials might dilute their on-screen image, he embraced advertising without losing who he was. That approach eventually shaped how celebrity-led campaigns in India evolved.

His work also contributed to early models of rural and aspirational marketing. Tractor and auto ads featuring him felt real and relatable. Wellness brands benefited from the credibility of a star who stayed fit and energetic through the decades. Tourism and state campaigns used him to speak directly to families and older audiences who saw him as one of their own.

Today, many of these ads live on as grainy VHS rips and nostalgia cuts online, popping up every few months to remind viewers of an advertising era with one broadcaster, limited inventory and a handful of stars who defined pop culture.

As the industry remembers Dharmendra, brands and agencies are revisiting those old commercials not just for sentiment but for insight. They reveal a simple truth: he was one of the earliest Hindi film icons who bridged cinema and commerce with complete authenticity, helping brands speak to the real India.

That bridge, built on trust, familiarity and a mass connection that never faded, remains one of his most understated contributions to Indian advertising.