30 second stars
Navya Malini, TNN | Jul 2, 2012, 12.00AM ISTTV actress' share has only increased from 1.6 to 1.7 (according to AdEx India - a division of TAM Media Research). The icing on the Cake, actor Hussain Kuwajerwala, currently hosting Indian Idol 5, is among the top 10 celebrities (as per ad volume) with a percentage share of 2.4.
While stars like Hussain and Sakshi Tanwar have been faces of brands, many in the tellyland are vying for their stint in the ad space based on the popularity of their shows. The end result — apart from shows, TV actors' acting skills are equally visible on the ad space.
Hussain credits this trend to the amazing mass appeal of television. "The popularity of shows on TV makes actors names to reckon with over the years. Advertisers too, do a lot of research to analyze whether an actor fits The Bill and whether the actor will add more value to the brand," says the actor who is eager to grab more such opportunities. "If more endorsement offers come by, will definitely take them up," he says.
Taking time out for doing ads is important, feels actor Rithvik Dhanjani. "Big brands still prefer big celebs. But brands do look out for actors. This helps us. In fact, I was not into TV when I got to do an ad. It worked both ways to me. When I did Pavitra Rishta, my ad appearance fetched me more visibility. What is important is keeping oneself visible to the industry people. TV actors get stuck monotonously in their work, which limits their scope. That's the bottleneck they need to break," says Rithvik.
The advertising fraternity feels the popularity of TV celebs definitely helps a brand grab brand recall. Prathap Suthan, chief creative officer of an ad agency, says, "When it comes to ads, it all depends on category. The popularity of a TV actor does help a product. Just that the connect between the product story and the actor's reputation needs to have traction."
For some, being in circulation is what's important, be it on shows or on ad space. "Honestly, what matters to me is work. Acting is acting — whether it's in an ad or in a show. What we get out of a commercial is very different from the creative satisfaction from a show," says actor Avinash Sachdev.
With telly stars like Barun Sobti, Manav Gohil, Anuj Sachdeva, Aamir Ali, Siddharth Shukla,Sameer Soni, Siddharth Karnick, Hina Khan, Aishwarya Sakhuja, Priyal Gor and Gaurav Khanna frequenting the ad space, other Tellywood stars can certainly look forward to a different innings.