Dhoni’s Cricketing career is rising high so does his brand image. Brand Dhoni is now worth Rs 300 Crore. Dhoni Charges about Rs 5 crore and at present he is promoting about 19 brands and all the contracts are for 3 years. Even some of the contracts are more then 3 years like Pepsi and Reebok he has a 10 year contract.
These days he is not accepting likely every brand promotion but wisely associating with the brands. Big brands are in his list and associating with big brands only. He is second to Shahrukh Khan in Brand Promotion if he continue to perform like this and India being No.1 in cricket then that day is not also far when he will be No.1 in brand promotion also.
Dhoni, cricket's favourite poster boy has taken over the mantle as top earner in commercials from his idol Sachin Tendulkar. Dhoni has all the four important traits for brand personality, which are style, passion, dynamism and timelessness. Dhoni is crickets favourite poster boy. Hence, rightly so, he had been named the 'Youth icon' 2006 by MTV.
His aptitude is amazing. He can generate extreme power with his wrist-work and bat speed and now he is using the same aggression prudently into commercial ads. One of the early birds who spotted this future superstar of commercial ads were the 'Mysore Sandal soap' people, who claimed that Dhoni even has initials as their brand- MS. A young (bats) man and a soap! Well, it had the nation washing in Mysore sandal soaps.
Then there were the endorsements for Exide, TVS Motors, Bharat Petroleum, GE Money and Orient PSPO Fan to keep Dhoni cool. The Reliance Communications launched Dhoni-Dhanadan pack to their Reliance mobile subscribers with goodies like wicket alerts, wallpapers, games, screensavers, SMS trivia, a Dhoni zone and mobile communities based on him.
Somewhere down the line comes a complete makeover, and the new spike haired look with the Brylcreem hair styling creams and colour gels. Dhoni sports different hues of coloured hair and coupled with a catchy jinglec Ready to play with colour- let your hair down, a little to the left, a little to the right, play with colour, the youngsters were hooked! A new star - a youth style icon is born!
When others were endorsing liquors, Dhoni guzzled milk and converted a generation of kids to hardcore milk drinkers! The mens apparel Siyaram brand wanted an ideal role model, targeting the young Indian for their MSD Monday to Sunday dressing. Who else, but our dashing magnetic Dhoni fits the role like a wicket glove? He also has NDTV under his belt with Gameplan Sports providing professional expertise to him.
In a truly global campaign, Reebok the global brand and their 'Run Easy' advertisement is probably one of the first advertisements that features Indian cricket stars Dravid and Dhoni. In the ad, Thierry Henry, Nicole Vaidisova, Allen Iverson and Carolina Kluft are running. And running along with a collection of American football and basketball stars are Indian cricketers Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. An enormous compliment given to both these cricketers by Reebok states, Dravid and Dhoni are great ambassadors for the brand since both of them completely embody the philosophy of the brand -'I am what I am'. They are authentic individuals, who express themselves in their own unique way both in sport and in life." In spite of all this fame, money and endorsements, when queried about his popularity at a television show, Dhoni replied, "It puts more responsibility on you." This icon has certainly kept his head firmly on his shoulders.
Then, there is the Videocon Industries, which pulled out Dravid and Dhoni after the world cup debacle but Dhoni batted his way back into the Videocon ads after the World Twenty20 win. Their entertaining Videocon ad has Dhoni as the Om Shanti Om's superstar and Shahrukh Khan as the Indian cricket captain. It's a treat to watch Dhoni doing the six-packs dard e disco and the Om Shanti Om song and of course the Rajesh Khanna spoof with that puffed hairdo and striped shirt. Shahrukh hits some sixes and fours and celebrates victory with bubbly champagne. Dhoni definitely steals the show thunder and lightening right from under Shahrukhs nose!
The recent really cool commercial ads of Pepsi and Sonata for the India Premier League's (IPL) Chennai Superkings team are incredibly amusing and hilarious.
Anyone with a south Indian connection will not fail to appreciate the humour in this Pepsi ad, a la south superstar Rajnikanth, but the tag line still continues to be "Yeh hain youngistan meri jaan." When introduced as a player from Jharkhand , the lungi clad Dhoni retorts by saying Eh! Yemm Yesss Dhooooni from Chennaiii. All you fast bowlers, I have the bat, do you have the ball Mind it!! Just great. The Sonata commercial too is equally side-splittingcthe song and dance, which Dhoni and friends do is so very filmy and riotous.
Dhoni is turning out to be as good in acting as he is in cricketing. His acting prowess is better than Saif Ali Khan in the Lays ad, as good as the south superstar Rajnikanth in the Pepsi Ad, rubs shoulder with Shahrukh in the Videocon ad. In fact, with his distinct looks, striking personality, charming smile, flowing mane or spiked hair, he poses a serious threat to Bollywoods poster boy John Abraham.
Thus, the superstar of commercials is none other than MS Dhoni, Mind It!'
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