9 Great Khali ad campaigns worth revisiting on his birthday

The Great Khali, whose real name is Dalip Singh Rana, was born on August 27, 1972, in Himachal Pradesh. From working odd jobs and serving in the Punjab Police to becoming the first Indian-born WWE World Heavyweight Champion, his journey made him one of India’s most recognisable sporting personalities.

But Khali’s larger-than-life persona also made him an interesting proposition for advertisers. Brands often turned his towering height, extraordinary strength and intimidating WWE image into humour — sometimes making him the punchline, and sometimes putting his “bhaari” personality at the centre of the product idea. Here are 9 Great Khali ads and campaigns worth revisiting on his birthday.


Ambuja Cement — ‘Giant Strength for the Giant’

This is easily the most iconic Great Khali ad and the one to start with. The 2015 Publicis campaign turned Khali’s extraordinary strength into a problem: furniture, walls and even everyday objects cannot withstand him. Ambuja Cement becomes the solution when Khali finally gets a home strong enough for him. The mockumentary-style commercial was widely praised for making the celebrity part of the story rather than simply using him as an endorser. 

Ambuja Cement — ‘Mausi/Strong Home’ comeback

Nearly eight years after the original campaign, Ambuja brought Khali back in 2023, using nostalgia around the original commercial. The shorter film again played on his enormous strength and the need for a “strong home”, showing how memorable the original character had become for the brand.

Cadbury Fuse — ‘Bhaari Hai’

If Ambuja used Khali’s strength, Cadbury Fuse used his “bhaari” personality. The 2022 campaign has students struggling with hunger before Khali arrives with a suitably “bhaari” solution — Cadbury Fuse. The campaign generated millions of views and impressions and extended beyond the main TVC into social content. 

KFC — Double Down Burger

KFC found another side of Khali in its 2021 Double Down Burger campaign. Instead of presenting him only as the intimidating wrestler, the campaign showed him trying unexpected hobbies and activities after discovering the burger. The joke was built around the idea that the “Khali of burgers” could make even the giant wrestler experience a new side of himself. 

Nestlé MUNCH Nuts — ‘Crunch’

In 2018, Khali appeared alongside Ishaan Khatter in a MUNCH Nuts campaign. Set around Dal Lake, the film used Khali as the comic obstacle between Khatter and his date, before the product’s “crunch” comes into play. It was a clever departure from the usual “strong man endorses strong product” formula. 

Swiggy — ‘Big Birthday Bash’

This one is particularly appropriate for his birthday. In 2022, Swiggy realised that Khali’s birthday fell in the same month as its own anniversary celebrations and built the campaign around him being annoyed that Swiggy’s “Big Birthday Bash” was stealing his thunder. The series of digital films had Khali confronting a Swiggy delivery executive and eventually making it “Swiggy and Khali’s Big Birthday Bash”. 

Licious — ‘All You Can Meat Buffet’

Licious played directly into Khali’s larger-than-life food persona for its 2022 meat festival. The wrestler appeared in print advertising and Instagram reels promoting the “All You Can Meat Buffet”, using his famously massive personality and appetite as the creative hook. 

Hindware Italian Collection — ‘Go Larger Than Life’

Hindware Italian Collection brought Khali and Tamannaah Bhatia together for its ‘Go Larger Than Life’ campaign for extra-large tiles. The campaign was designed around the idea of scale and luxury, making Khali a natural fit for a product positioned around larger formats. The company says the campaign generated 85 million ad impressions and reached 29 million audiences.

Polo Elevators — ‘No Jhatke, Only Hatke’

The newest entry on the list is Polo Elevators’ 2026 campaign featuring Khali as its brand ambassador. Its ‘No Jhatke, Only Hatke’ positioning uses his strength, size and reliability to communicate smooth performance and safety. The campaign has been rolled out across television, digital, print, outdoor and social media. 

From cement and chocolate to burgers, food delivery and elevators, the common thread across Khali’s advertising career is simple: brands rarely try to hide what makes him extraordinary. They make his size, strength and intimidating image the joke, the proposition or the storytelling device — and that is precisely why some of his commercials remain memorable long after the campaigns have disappeared from television.