In a major branding move, Dosti Realty has announced its collaboration with eminent Bollywood actor, Anil Kapoor, as the Brand Ambassador for its Dosti Greater Thane venture. This partnership pairs the actor's iconic status, which bridges age groups in entertainment, with Dosti Realty's diversified appeal in the real estate sector.

In the world of marketing, the influence of celebrities has proven to be an undeniable force. The art of celebrity endorsements has evolved into a powerful strategy for captivating consumer attention and fostering brand loyalty. With the rapid ascent of the millennial demographic, opportunities for celebrity endorsements have surged across diverse industries, including automobiles, real estate, telecommunications, finance, and luxury products.

This transformative shift in the dynamics of celebrity endorsements is particularly evident in the preferences of India's millennials. An interesting trend has emerged, showcasing the affinity of young millennials, often in their late 20s or early 30s, towards prioritising homeownership. Recognising this change, brands have embraced a new approach – enlisting young celebrities as brand ambassadors. This strategic manoeuvre aims to rejuvenate established developer brands, rendering them more appealing to this vibrant and discerning segment of consumers.

In India, several notable celebrities have been part of real estate campaigns or have become brand ambassadors for real estate companies. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has served as the brand ambassador for Mahagun Group, a prominent developer situated in Noida. In the past, Deepika Padukone has endorsed Ace Group while Anushka Sharma has endorsed Ruparel Realty. Kangana Ranaut was the brand ambassador for Platinum Group’s Prive project in Mumbai. Actor and director Farhan Akhtar endorsed Piramal Realty’s Piramal Mahalaxmi project last year. 

The Lodha Group has had several celebrities endorse its projects over the years such as Akshay Kumar & Twinkle Khanna for Lodha Amara, Deepika Padukone for Lodha Belmondo, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for Lodha The Park.  Recently, Dubai based Danube properties launched a campaign featuring Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi catered specifically for the Indian target market. In July this year, Pune based Gera Developments signed on Amitabh Bachchan as their brand ambassador. 

Several Indian sportsmen too have lent their face to multiple real estate projects. During his heyday Sachin Tendulkar is said to have endorsed Pune based Amit Enterprises for a whopping Rs 9 crore endorsement deal. In 2016, Virat Kohli teamed up with Bengaluru based Nitesh Estates for their #winningthefuture campaign. In  2012, Gurgaon based Homestead Infrastructure roped in Michael Schumacher for its Michael Schumacher Word Tower project. Rahul Dravid endorsed Piramal Realty for a brief period of time. Kanakia Spaces had French football player Zinedine Zidane and Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan as ambassadors for their Kanakia Paris project in BKC, Mumbai.

Not all celebrity endorsements have yielded a positive impact. After the collapse of the Amrapali Group, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh, who had endorsed the brand in the past, suffered severe backlash from the public. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) demanded that MS Dhoni be held accountable for the actions of the builder he chose to represent. Similarly, tennis star Maria Sharapova found herself embroiled in a legal tussle in the early 2010s with the homebuyers of a luxury project by Gurgaon based Homestead Infrastructure. She has endorsed the project and even met with potential homebuyers in the project’s sale office to encourage them to purchase homes in the project. 

A popular opinion is that celebrities must be held accountable for misleading endorsement for brands as their endorsement of the brand has a direct impact on the product’s  acceptance and eventually sales. On the other hand, many people the final responsibility lies with the buyer to complete his or her due diligence before making such substantial investments. Why the moral responsibility remains debateable, the trend and popularity of celebrity backed campaigns and endorsements looks like it’s here to stay.