Dhoni Sports Long Hair In New Ad, Video Goes Viral

Popular chocolate brand Snickers on Monday announced the appointment of cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its new brand ambassador. The brand was earlier endorsed by Bollywood actors like Sonam Kapoor and Rekha.

Snickers has rolled out a new television commercial, made by advertising agency R.K. Swamy BBDO Pvt. Ltd, featuring Dhoni dressed as a warrior. The 30-second commercial captures a humorous locker room conversation where Dhoni calls upon his teammates to take a pledge to beat the opposing team.

“We are honoured to have M.S. Dhoni join the Snickers family. The brand is loved across the world for its cool quotient and there is no one who personifies this better than our very own Captain Cool. Ever since its launch in the Indian market, Snickers has successfully built upon the philosophy of how you’re not you when you are hungry. With the association of M.S. Dhoni, we are beginning the next chapter of our journey in India and strengthening our relevance amongst Indian consumers,” said Yogesh Tewari, marketing director, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, the company that owns Snickers.

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It is learnt that Dhoni’s brand endorsement deals can be in the range of Rs 3-10 crore, depending on the size of the company he is associated with along with the size and duration of the contract. Currently, the cricketer endorses a range of brands across categories, including Exide Life Insurance, Orient Fans, smartphone maker Lava International, automobile firm TVS Motors, liquor brand McDowell’s No. 1, SRMB Steel and health supplement brand Revital H.

The former Indian captain’s contract with PepsiCo India ended in 2016 and he has been replaced by Indian captain Virat Kohli as the face of health food drink brand Boost. In January 2017, Dhoni stepped down as India captain from both the 50-over and 20-over formats, making way for Kohli to take over as the full time captain.

“It’s a myth that one needs to reflect the face of the consumer in the brand ambassador. If that would have been the case then Amitabh Bachchan wouldn’t have endorsed such variety of brands many of which are targeted at young consumers. Age is not a factor here. Snickers is an impulse purchase brand category where the story line of campaigns supersedes the choice of brand ambassador. Dhoni, to my mind, is a perfect fit because Snickers is about staying healthy while snacking. As a brand, it wants to be seen as popular and cool which aligns with the image of Dhoni, who is one of the top players in the country and well respected among the youth,” said Manish Porwal, managing director, Alchemist Marketing & Talent Solutions.