Milind Soman at 61: A look back at his most iconic ad campaigns

As Milind Soman celebrates his 61st birthday today, November 4, the advertising industry finds itself looking at a remarkable anomaly. In a market obsessed with youth metrics and Gen Z creators, Soman continues to command high brand equity. His transition from India's original supermodel to a fitness evangelist has allowed brands to leverage his image for everything from disruptive grooming products to health-conscious FMCG goods.

What makes Soman’s commercial journey fascinating is his willingness to experiment, often challenging societal norms and, occasionally, the advertising rulebook itself.

Over the past six months, Soman’s brand endorsements have strictly aligned with his active lifestyle positioning. In May 2026, the healthy snacking brand Healthy Master brought him on board to drive its digital and quick-commerce integrations. The strategy was clear: anchor the brand's healthy proposition to Soman's uncompromising fitness credibility. Just a month prior, in April 2026, activewear label Bluetyga enlisted him to launch India’s first sunscreen jacket.

Read On: In India, the running community is growing faster: Milind Soman

These recent campaigns show brands tapping into his established trust factor, moving beyond mere awareness to drive measurable conversions in niche performance-wear and wellness sectors.

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A post shared by Mac Singh | FOUNDER @ FITELO (@dietitianmac)

Breaking the Mould on Ageing 

However, it was his late 2025 campaign with Centre for Sight that brilliantly showcased his ability to tackle sensitive subjects with a light touch. In the highly talked-about ad, Soman advocates for active ageing, playfully correcting the assumption that deteriorating vision is just a normal part of getting older. Medical advertising in India has historically been sombre and heavily clinical. By introducing a charming, gym-side narrative, this campaign broke the monotonous mould, successfully combining humour with a critical healthcare message.

He appeared again in the latest brand campaign. 

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A post shared by Milind Usha Soman (@milindrunning)

The Classic Disruptor 

Of course, any retrospective of Soman’s advertising career must acknowledge his legacy as a classic disruptor. The cultural shockwave of the 1995 Tuff Shoes print campaign—shot by the late Prabuddha Dasgupta and featuring Soman alongside Madhu Sapre and a python—remains legendary. While it invited a 14-year legal battle over obscenity and animal cruelty, it also won creative awards and demonstrated the sheer, unignorable power of provocative advertising.

Read On: Milind Soman: Built on authenticity, endurance and reinvention

Similarly, Wieden+Kennedy’s 2013 "Mantastic" campaign for Old Spice proved that Soman could effortlessly carry an outrageously confident, over-the-top tone. By adapting the brand's global blueprint for the Indian market, Soman sat bare-chested on a throne, establishing a tongue-in-cheek dialogue about modern masculinity and grooming.

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A post shared by Milind Usha Soman (@milindrunning)

He flipped that very masculinity on its head again in 2022 with Lowe Lintas’ satirical Vim Black campaign. Promoting a black-packaged dishwashing liquid "for men", Soman stepped in to validate a young man boasting about doing household chores. The campaign sparked a fierce internet debate regarding gender washing, but it successfully hijacked the cultural conversation, generating massive earned media for Hindustan Unilever.

At 61, Soman is not just a legacy face; he is a masterclass in evolving brand positioning. From generating national outrage in 1995 to normalising cataract surgeries and poking fun at patriarchy today, he remains a highly versatile and compelling commercial property.

For brand strategists, his trajectory proves that authenticity—coupled with a willingness to not take oneself too seriously—rarely depreciates in value.