Varun Dhawan, renowned for his roles in movies like ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’, ‘October’, ‘Badlapur’, and ‘Student Of The Year’, has not only established himself in Bollywood but has also become a prominent face for various brands.
Dhawan, who celebrates his 37th birthday today, has come a long way from working as an Assistant Director, to starring in many box-office successes.
He secured the 21st position on Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Ranking for the year 2022, with a brand value of $28 million. He has endorsed a diverse range of brands spanning FMCG, entertainment, and automobile categories. Let’s explore his journey through brand endorsements:
Lux Cozi
Since 2017, Lux Industries has roped in Varun Dhawan as the brand ambassador of Lux Cozi and rolled out various ad campaigns featuring him. Among these, the #SunoTohApneDeshKi campaign of 2021 particularly garnered attention.
The campaign’s goal was to highlight a new water-saving technology implemented in its manufacturing, conserving three lakh litres of water every day. The advertisement focused on the significance of water conservation in a lively yet meaningful way. The campaign garnered significant attention on social media.
Frooti
Parle Agro launched its #LiveTheFrootiLife summer campaign in 2021 created by the &Walsh, featuring Dhawan along with actress Alia Bhatt as the brand ambassadors.
In a fresh campaign, two new characters, ‘Scientist’ and ‘Clumsy’, were introduced to bring more life to the Frooti world. The ad showcased clumsy bringing a bunch of Frooti bottles to Bhatt, who was teased by Dhawan for not having any Frooti to drink. The ad film aimed to immerse viewers in the colourful world of #LiveTheFrootiLife with a refreshed rendition of the iconic ‘Mango Frooti, Fresh and Juicy’ tune from 2015.
Smoodh
Dhawan has been the brand ambassador for Parle Agro’s dairy brand Smoodh since 2021. In its latest summer campaign for 2024, conceptualised by &Walsh, he introduced the new flavors of the season. The ad focuses on highlighting the smoothness and taste of the beverage, using the tagline “Oh so SMOODH”. Additionally, the advertisement introduces a new cow character to emphasise the nutrition and flavour of Smoodh.
Amazon Prime Video
Dhawan has also been actively endorsing Amazon Prime Video India’s line-up after the OTT platform named him as Prime ‘Bae’ referring to one of his upcoming projects.
In one of the video ads, he excitedly spilled the beans on Prime Video’s December 2023 lineup, sharing exclusive insights with fans. He also unveiled the home upgrades he had made to enhance the viewing experience for 15 new shows and movies. Through a playful House Tour video, Dhawan showcased multiple screens to the host, Viraj Ghelani, teasing the titles he was eager to watch and giving viewers a sneak peek into what was in store on Amazon Prime Video the following month.
Viraj couldn’t resist sharing the news with his mother, pledging to spend the entire month glued to Amazon Prime Video’s latest releases. The video concluded with Dhawan urging viewers to join Prime membership.
Fossil
In 2017, the American Watch brand appointed Dhawan as the brand ambassador. As part of his association with the brand, he has featured in several ad campaigns for Fossil, including its latest global campaign, “Made for this,” alongside actress Kriti Sanon.
In one of the ads, Dhawan and Sanon can be seen playing Dumb Charades while they flaunt Fossil watches. In the past, the brand also launched an exclusive limited-edition watch crafted in partnership with the ‘Badlapur’ actor. This unique timepiece was part of Fossil’s Curator series, which celebrates collaboration with a diverse range of artists and influencers.
Maruti Suzuki Arena
In 2018, as the brand ambassador for Maruti Suzuki Arena, the ‘Badlapur’ actor starred in one of the ad campaigns that introduced the Maruti Suzuki Arena as an innovative approach to car buying. He showcased the modern showrooms, cutting-edge technology, and personalised customer experiences.
He also illustrated how customers could effortlessly embark on their car-buying journey, explore various options, and tailor their choices digitally and also emphasised the significance of convenience.
Reebok
Reebok India roped in Dhawan as the brand ambassador in 2019, and since then the actor has been a part of many ad campaigns for the brand, one of them being the ‘Sole Fury’ campaign. The campaign features the actor wearing Sole Fury sneakers by the brand. With dance sequences set in unconventional settings, it presents Reebok’s timeless vintage style in a modern way.
Maaza
In 2016, Maaza introduced a fresh brand proposition: “Laalach for Aam? Maaza hai naam”. This advertisement was conceptualised by Leo Burnett.
The commercial featured Varun, Maaza’s brand ambassador, portraying twin characters. One twin refuses to share mango with his brother. However, the other brother finds a solution to his craving by treating himself with a bottle of Maaza, sparking envy in his sibling. The ad effectively introduced Maaza’s enticing new proposition with Dhawan at the helm.
OPPO
OPPO partnered with Dhawan for a digital campaign promoting its F21 Pro series, targeting Gen-Z. The #FlauntYourBest campaign features celebrities like Raghav Juyal, Shakti Mohan, Dhanashree Verma and Avneet Kaur.
With three teasers and a nine-minute film, the campaign unveiled the OPPO F21 Pro and F21 Pro 5G. Teasers hinted at a surprise pre-birthday party for Dhawan, showcasing the F21 Pro’s features like its unique design and advanced camera, catering to the preferences of Gen-Z. The launch film depicted the actor’s birthday bash, where he and his friends snapped stunning selfies using the flagship Sony IMX709 Selfie Sensor on the F21 Pro.
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Pedigree
Mars Petcare introduced Dhawan as its first Indian brand ambassador with an ad film for Pedigree India, highlighting their shared passion for pet health.
Their collaboration kicked off with a cricket-themed advertisement on Disney+ Hotstar, which was conceptualised by 22feet Tribal Worldwide. In the ad, the actor engaged in a playful exchange with a clever dog during a cricket match. In the background, the dog humorously remarks to Dhawan, “Bhai Tu Footage Khata Hai or Mai Pedigree”.
