Rishabh Pant: The Poster Boy of Indian Advertising

Nowadays, advertisers are finding it very hard to lure consumers with their communication. Earlier, things used to be simple when TV was the mainstream media for ads. But with the rise of digital media, the advertising industry has now seen a total shift. Now, viewers have the power to “skip” your brand’s ads. 5 seconds is all you got to grab their attention. That’s why celebrity & influencer collaboration has become very essential for advertising. Whether it’s big production ads or brand endorsements on social media.

In this trendy form of advertising, one name is making big waves and every brand is keen to sign him for their next ad. We are talking about the Indian Cricket Team’s new young wicketkeeper: Rishabh Pant. But how did he manage to achieve so much at such a young age? Is he really worthy of all the attention he’s lately been getting? Let’s see the origin and rise of the youngster and how he became the face of Indian advertising. 

The Prodigy from Roorkee

Born in Roorkee from Uttarakhand, Rishabh Pant had embarked upon the journey of becoming a cricketer, quite early in his life. He used to travel to Delhi every weekend with his mother and train with Tarak Sinha at the Sonnet Cricket Academy. His hard work soon paid off when he was selected to play for Delhi in Ranji Trophy in 2015. His aggressive playstyle and quick records in the domestic circuits were quickly noticed by Indian selectors. That resulted in his selection for the Indian Cricket Team in 2018. And the young boy started writing a new phase of Indian cricket’s history. 

Rising to the Occasion

After his entry to the ODIs, his performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) also improved & stunned everyone as he scored 128 not out. With many great innings to his name, he was soon awarded the ICC Emerging Player of the Year in 2019. And thus, started his advertising innings as well when brands started approaching him for ads. From JSW Steel to boAt, everybody wanted a piece of Rishabh!

Cadbury Fuse with Yuvraj Singh

At first, he was paired with other cricketers in groups in ads for boAt and Cadbury Fuse. It showed a new side of the cricketing star who dabbled with acting for the brands. But then, with improved performance, his screen presence started to increase too. He was made the brand ambassador for Noise and also got the gig to promote Realme 3 with his stylish charm. 

Noise ad as Brand Ambassador

Luck Favours the Brave

The time for Rishabh Pant was also perfect. M.S. Dhoni, the long-reigning wicketkeeper of India, was in his retirement stage. India was desperate to find a good replacement. Indian brands too were looking to find Dhoni’s replacement in the ads. On & Off the field, Rishabh started to get more and more opportunities to stand out from the rest. 

In a very short span of time, his endorsements portfolio was growing rapidly and he was being compared to star cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, etc. 

Boost Camp: How to Tackle Spinners

The most clever use of Rishabh Pant’s name & fame was by endorsing “The Pant Project”, an online brand dealing with… you guessed it! Pants or trousers. Even the ad was very creative and did well with wordplay in the voiceover. Have a look at the “Pantastic Pant” ad:

A Pant is… Pant?

Himalaya Men’s Face Wash Ad

JSW Steel Ad

That’s how a young boy from Roorkee, with hard work, determination, skills and a dash of luck, made his way into the Indian Cricket Team and now has turned into the poster boy of Indian Advertising. Of course, all this won’t have been possible without his impeccable performance on the cricket field. No Indian can forget his tremendous contribution to the Gabba Test and breaking Australia’s 32-year undefeated record. It’s impressive how the young lad has managed his presence and performance well. It surely makes him well-deserved for all the attention & endorsements he’s been getting.

As per the latest reports, Rishab Pant’s current net worth stands at ₹63 crores, with a major chunk of it coming from brand advertising. With a lot more to come his way in this profession, we wish him all the best for his future.

Let us know how you liked this blog in the comments section below. If you liked it really well, don’t forget to share it with your friends on social media. Keep following Sanket Communications’ blog page for more insight into the advertising and marketing world. See you next time!