As World cup and IPL takes on the big screens and Soap Opear’s, The market for so called celebrities shows a downturn. The impact of movie stars seems fading and the power of cricketers seems rising. The Sharukh’s and Amitabh’s are now replaced by Sachins and Dhonis. From lifestyle brands to a 5rs. Pen…. All product and service categories are flooded by cricketers.
The importance of appreciating those who perform on field without retakes is taking center stage in the minds of the people. Earlier cricketers used to help brands show their love for the game and for the nation and due to events like IPL brands are getting to target specific states and markets. The Aspiration which LUX had created using film-star/celebrity seems to be less powerful in today's time. For brands like Kingfisher cricket events like IPL provide the best opportunity to make their targets accept their brands as truly global using cricketers from all corners of the world.
Mountain dew after using Salman Khan as their brand ambassador [ Salman Khan once used to endorse Thumps-Up] is making the brand less relevant. The belief which Mountain dew had achieved when launched was created using faces which the young targets could relate to. To me it seems that Salman could have jumped from the Cliff of a mountain/ Parachute even without sipping a pint of Mountain Dew. So to me for Salman Khan in Mountain Dew ad makes no real difference, extraordinary people like Salman make the brands ordinary [ I am aware about the fact that ‘Dabbang’ was a great success, and I believe it was due to the Singer: Rahat Ali Khan.]
In India, unlike any other sports, cricket is played and viewed round the year in such a scenario; it becomes difficult for other sports to retain the buzz throughout the year, around the players of these sports. However, the subsequent line-up of two major sports events last year - the Commonwealth Games, followed by the Asian Games - helped keep these sports persons in news for many months together. Many players from sports other than cricket have grabbed brand endorsement deals as well. India's better performance in the last few international sporting events has gifted quite a few new faces to the brand endorsement circuit besides the usual cricketers and the few tennis players from the sports world. As investment in a non-cricket sportsperson isn't massive, thus decreasing the financial danger. Hence, it is seen as a viable option. Public Sector companies or large B2B companies have always patronized the winners of international sporting events such as the Olympics or the Asian Games. Interestingly, what has changed now is that large consumer-oriented companies have opened their doors for these sportsmen. Leading the list is Badminton player Sania Nehwal whose annual brand endorsement deals could match many well known cricketers. As I observe, Sports personalities in the past could not add any emotions to the brand as they could not act. [ Everybody expects them to play better ] But sports personals real life story are now well integrated with the brand story and positioning.
Zakir Hussain would not have been as famous as he is across India if ‘Taj’ wouldn’t have used him in their ‘Wah Taj’ ad campaign. Similarly ‘Zandu’ in their recent campaign for Zandu Pancharishta uses Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj which will possibly make Indains aware about the Indian Gems and their choices of brand famous.
Sometimes endorsements make a lot of difference to the endorser’s life if not the brands life.
The image of a hoarding put up, before the world cup final, in my home town Mazagoan shows the face of Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian Currency of 100 Rs. note being replaced by Sachin Tendulkar as it was expected that Sachin would score his 100th International century on an astonishing occasion of the World Cup Final, 2011.
Similarly I came across another image on one of my colleagues desktop screen showing the face of the Image of Lord Krishna [The Hero of the Epic Mahabharata, who rightly advised Arjuna to fight against his enemies which made him victorious] being replaced by Sachin Tendulkar. The face of Arjuna in the same image was replaced by that of M.S. Dhoni, the Captian of the Indian Cricket Team. 
A cricket crazy nation as the world knows it , India Loves Cricket like Nobody else does and as visible in all the images discussed above, the reason behind this love is the presence of the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar. 