Salman jumps from 10,000 feet up for soft drink ad

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Bollywood's 'Dabangg' actor Salman Khan will be seen doing daredevil stunt in PepsiCo's Mountain Dew new ad - he jumps from 10,000 feet in a 'wingsuit' from which a parachute springs open.

'Everyone is afraid of something or the other at some point of his or her life. But if you try to run away from fear, you'd be tired and eventually fear will win. So the best way to overcome fear is to face it, run through it because 'Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai',' Salman said in a statement.

Salman was initially not so sure about the stunt but he eventually did it. Wingsuit flying is a new sport of flying through the air in a special jumpsuit and pulling the parachute's ripcord as one apporaches the ground.

He is said to be the first celebrity brand ambassador roped in by Mountain Dew.

Alpana Titus, category marketing director (flavoured carbonated drinks), PepsiCo India Beverages, says the new campaign is quite big in terms of quality and budget.

'Salman has jumped from a mountain which was 10,000 feet high. He did have jitters initially but was confident it would work out well and he would be able to overcome his fears in turn,' she said.

When asked why Salman was chosen out of all the known faces, Titus said: 'Salman was our first choice because he embodies our (Mountain Dew's) tagline 'Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai' accurately and he also has a nationwide fan following. People in not only the metros but also the remote areas follow him.'

The 45-second TV commercial will air from Friday and a 60-second commercial will be shown in theatres.