5 best ads featuring Mahendra Singh Dhoni
17 years ago, a man from Ranchi with long flowing manes came out to bat for India. As he walked out to the center with a twirl of his bat, very few people knew it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni who had sauntered into Indian cricket. MSD went on to enthrall them for 15 years.
In his early days, it was a refreshing change to watch an Indian batsman hit a cricket ball with such raw power. He went on to not only redefine the art of finishing in limited-overs cricket but has given many young players the belief to dream big irrespective of their origin story.
Over the years, the former Indian captain has been the face of various brands, ranging from consumer durables to automobiles and from retail products to life insurance. He is regarded as one of the most successful captains and players in Indian cricket and this success on the field has given him the chance to be a trusted figure off it.
As far as the numbers are concerned, back in 2016, Dhoni’s net worth was around $31 million and brand endorsements comprised a large part of this. According to reports, he has charged between INR 8 crore and INR 12 crore for each endorsement.
Here, we take a look at 5 of his best advertisements that will leave you with more than just nostalgia.
Videocon, Shahrukh Khan+ MS Dhoni: The 'Brothers' commercial:
The flirtatous relationship between cricket and Bollywood has been well documented and hence, it was no surprise when Videocon snapped up MS Dhoni and paired him with Shah Rukh Khan.
The duo portrayed the role of 'bichhade hue bhais' (estranged brothers) on reel.
As expected, this campaign proved to be a bumper hit.
2. Pepsi ad:
Pepsi has always been able to bag a plethora of cricketing stars to do all the marketing for them. It was, hence, not a surprise when they snapped up MS Dhoni to be their face.
The timing could not have been more perfect - both for the brand and for the player. The sponsorship was announced around the same time Dhoni became the captain of the Indian cricket team across all formats.
Dhoni channeled his inner Rajnikanth to wow audiences not only from Chennai (his IPL team) but all across India.
3. Mastercard India
MS Dhoni evolved not only as a player but also as a person. The flowing manes gave way to neatly cropped hair and the flamboyant young man became an embodiment of trust and maturity over the years. Hence, it was no surprise when he replaced Irrfan Khan as the brand ambassador of Mastercard India.
With Dhoni as its face, Mastercard aimed to expand its debit and credit cards usage in India. They rolled out several videos and banked on Captain Cool's image to spread its wings to the Tier II and Tier III cities of the country.
Not only this, they also launched a campaign #DhoniWithMastercard under the umbrella of #TeamCashlessIndia.
4. McDowell's No1 - Yaaron Se Bane Hum:
MS Dhoni has always spoken about being grounded to the roots and never forgetting the people who have been instrumental in his success.
McDowell paid tribute to MS Dhoni's friends in their advertisement and it was definitely a nostalgic one to watch for many cricket fans.
5. TVS Star City
MS Dhoni's first big break came when he signed with TVS Star City and has been associated with the brand since 2006. He has featured in a number of commercials for the motorcycle.
A big fan of motorbikes, Dhoni became an instant hit with this brand and it had a massive impact on the sale of their bikes.