Dhoni: Magic off the field, too

Ranchi, May 20: Mahi sure doesn’t mind lending his name to several brands and now the Chennai superstar’s latest commercial for cola giant Pepsi has become an instant hit.

Since his brush with stardom, Team India ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been associated with at least 17 brands, including Brylcreem, Frito Lay’s, TVS Bikes and Orient PSPO.

Sanjay Agarwal, a Namkum-based dealer of Frito Lay’s, a company that roped in Dhoni only a few months ago, said: “Product sales have gone up considerably after Dhoni was associated with the brand. There are two reasons for it. First, brand like Lay’s are consumed by youngsters and have a huge customer base in the city. Secondly, they identify with Dhoni.”

Sandeep Bhalotia, a wholesaler in cosmetics in Upper Bazaar, said: “Do people know that after Dhoni endorsed Mysore Sandal Soap, the indigenously manufactured soap of south India has been in demand in Jharkhand, too?”

A soft drink dealer said sales of PepsiCo’s 7Up had shot up the day India won ICC World Twenty20. “This was only because our Ranchi hero was endorsing it,” he said.

S.K. Singh, head of a city-based advertising company, said celebrity endorsements were usually a hit with the masses.

But does Dhoni’s association with the brand make it more popular?

“Buying a product because Dhoni is endorsing it is foolish. They get paid for such deals. Tomorrow, if another company asks them to endorse a rival product by paying them more,they would do that too,” said Poonam Saxena, a homemaker.