In the last one month, at least two actors ruling south movies have been roped in as ambassador by national brands — Nivea has launched a new range with Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Signify (earlier Philips Lighting) has signed up Rashmika Mandanna for Ecolink and Philips brands. Both these brands said the actors command a lot of youth appeal.
According to Ormax Media, South movies contributed close to 50% (Telugu: 20%, Tamil:15%, Malayalam: 10%, Kannada: 3%) to the country’s box office revenues in 2024, while Hindi cinema revenues accounted for just 40%. Endorsement fees for south movie stars have shot up 30-35% since then.
Put together, they show how a bevy of regional stars are making their way up the endorsement ladder. Not that it’s a new trend. The signs were all there for about two years now. Kroll’s “Beyond the Mainstream” Celebrity Brand Valuation Report had flagged the rise of Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna as strong brand endorsers, marking their first appearance in India’s top 25 celebrities list two years ago. What has happened lately is that their growing presence on social media has cemented engagement and loyalty among a young audience cohort.
Statista data shows that users aged 13-19 years make up 31% of social media users in India; and that users in the 18-24 age group constitute the majority of Facebook and Instagram users in the country. Experts say, social media fosters interaction, enabling retailers to engage with customers on a personal level and build trust.
Look at how they stack up: Allu Arjun has 28.3 million followers on social media with an engagement rate of 4.5%. Amitabh Bachchan has 37.4 million followers on Instagram alone but his engagement rate is just 0.12%. Ram Charan has 26 million followers and an engagement rate of 4.33% vis-à-vis Shah Rukh Khan’s 47.8 million followers and an engagement rate is 2.31%. Among the women, Rashmika Mandanna has 45.4 million followers and an engagement rate of 4.47%, while Deepika Padukone has about double the number of followers (80.4 million followers) and a similar engagement rate of 4.5%.
It’s easy to see why stars such as Allu Arjun have picked up endorsement deals with Thums Up and KFC, while Rashmika Mandanna has snagged deals with brands like 7UP, Cetaphil and Gillette Venus. Similarly, Samantha Ruth Prabhu endorses ICICI Bank and Star Health Insurance, while Ram Charan has signed deals with Manyavar and SAIL. “We are moving towards one Indian cinema industry, where stars aren’t just Bollywood or southern actors. They’re simply Indian superstars. Brands are catching on to that shift,” says Amit Dhawan, partner & CEO, ArtE Mediatech.
Here’s a cost angle to this plot. While A-list Bollywood stars such as Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt command between 9 and 12 crore per day for a brand campaign shoot, south star Allu Arjun, Ram Charan and Jr. NTR take home between4 and 7 crore per day for brand campaign shoots. Women stars like Rashmika Mandanna and Samantha Ruth Prabhu earn up to `2 crore per endorsement deal, a hike of over 30% in the last year.
Dhawan adds that while southern movie icons have not closed the gap with Bollywood stars, their value for brands is skyrocketing. “Indian audiences have always loved larger-than-life heroism, and no one does it better than south Indian movie makers,” he points out. Superior production quality and VFX have helped south cinema compete with and even surpass Bollywood in terms of popularity and appeal.
Plot twist
According to Rohit Singh, associate account director, White Rivers Media, this evolution in the brand endorsement market signals a new era where authenticity is the benchmark for successful brand storytelling. “The appeal of stars commanding loyalty in southern markets while gaining acceptance across India creates a powerful combination for brands seeking authentic connections,” says Singh.
Movie aficionados are also increasingly experimenting with content that goes beyond Hindi and English. Kumar Awanish, chief growth officer, Cheil India, says there are many factors driving this shift in consumption. “We are seeing a higher number of movie releases from Kollywood, Tollywood and other southern movie industries compared with Bollywood. Further, the adoption of OTT as the mainstream release media to widen reach and the availability of these movies in multiple languages has fuelled their consumption. Their success on OTT platforms makes them the equivalent of a box office hit,” observes Awanish.
Advertising leaders note that no shift is possible without some friction points. Brands need to pitch their communication regionally and culturally to make the most of these associations, says Nahush Gulawani, co-founder at Wit And Chai Group. “Not every South Indian star has national appeal yet. Tamil actor Suriya might not have the same Hindi market pull as Allu Arjun or Jr. NTR,” he says.
Cheil’s Awanish adds that not every brand will have a regional celebrity fitment. For brands looking at wider geographical reach, Bollywood stars are still a better bet to lead engagement and audience penetration.