Allu Arjun
Pushparaj Allu Arjun is the latest superstar to enter the Thunder-verse. He has been signed in as the brand ambassador of the popular soft drink brand Thums Up. Reportedly, with this deal he has become the highest-paid ambassador in Asia for any commercial.
Allu Arjun's demand in the endorsement market has only increased with high anticipation around the release of his film 'Pushpa: The Rule', a sequel to his 2021 release 'Pushpa: The Rise'. The first part directed by Sukumar earned a cult following and also won Allu Arjun his first national Award for Best Actor. The upcoming film is expected to break all records at the box office and not just in the southern states but across the country.
Allu Arjun getting on board as the brand ambassador of a brand like Thums Up only proves that he has great influence not only in Indian but also the international market, Thumbs up through the collaboration is looking to expand its reach across Asia and elevate its value. The beverage brand had reached billion-dollar sales in 2021 and enjoyed a 20% market share as of 2022.
Over the years, Thums Up has seen several big stars from the film and cricket business become the face of the brand. The brand has always benefitted from current trends by associating with names who were making headlines.
In early 2022, it was announced that Shah Rukh Khan was onboarded at the brand ambassador. It was a time the actor was working on his comeback projects like 'Pathaan', 'Dunki' and 'Jawan' all of which was released in 2023.
"Teaming up with King Khan, the brand amplifies this core value and adds an action-packed cinematic storytelling with SRK portraying both reel and real-life hero in the ad-film," said a joint statement.
Apart from King Khan, Telugu star Vijay Deverakonda, cricketer Jasmit Bumrah and Kannada actor Kichcha Sudeepa are also faces of the brand at present.
Akshay Kumar was among the first prominent face of the Thums Up from Bollywood and was associated with the brand for eight years.
Salman Khan was the face of the brand till 2016. The company also tied with Khan's movie 'Dabangg 2' and his charitable organisation as part of the deal. In 2016, the brand parted ways with the superstar as they reportedly wanted a younger face to align with its flagship brand. The company also cited Khan's commitment to a daily TV show sponsored by a competitor brand.
Then came in Ranveer Singh as the brand ambassador. In 2023 February, Ranveer became the face of rival brand Pepsi, hence ending his association with Thums Up.
Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu was among the first south star to become the face of the brand. He endorsed it till 2021.
