Brands, in the beginning of the year, usually revisit their business strategies and take a call on which celebrity would be apt to be its face. According to a Duff & Phelps report, actor Akshay Kumar has topped the list of brand ambassadors in Bollywood, with a brand value of $118.9 million (approximately Rs. 888 crore). Cricketer Virat Kohli leads the pack overall among celebs, while Ranveer Singh, Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are among others from the film industry, on the list.

“The pandemic has made brands stick to those who represent trust and credibility the most,” says UT Ramprasad, GM, marketing at Tata Motors, whose brand ambassador since 2017 is Kumar. “From heavy vehicles to smaller ones, our products cater to different audiences, and Akshay is very versatile. From star value to portraying a certain role and the real person behind it, there have been no scandals; all clean habits,” he adds.

Vinod Kumar Gupta, managing director and CEO of Dollar Industries, whose association with Kumar dates back to 2010, calls the actor the “true khiladi”. “He is the macho man and it resonates with his personality. He is known for making the maximum number of films in a year and is the most celebrated actor in the mid-segment of society. For that reason, he’s been with us for so long,” Gupta says.

In a report by AdEx India, a division of TAM Media Research, that traces visibility of brand ambassadors during the first half of 2021, Kumar yet again led the list, with an average visibility of 33 hours across TV channels and 36 brands in his endorsement kitty. Kohli, meanwhile, led the sports celebrities with 30 brands under his belt.

Brands also seem to be keen on signing celebrity couples. According to the TAM report, the top three couples that command the highest share on the basis of number of brands and TV ads are Akshay Kumar-Twinkle Khanna (33%), Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor Khan (20%) and Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma (16%).

On what makes brands rope in actors like Kumar year after year, trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, “He is one of the most professional actors and is very committed to his projects. Moreover, his image is very clean.”

New-age brands, too, seem interested in tapping the star factor for sustained interest among youngsters. Vishal Gondal, founder of the wellness brand GOQii, which is being endorsed by Kumar for over three years now, says, “Akshay sir personifies what we believe in — living a healthy lifestyle and being fit. He’s not just doing it as brand ambassador, he genuinely believes in it.”