From Khiladi to Brand Khiladi: How Akshay Kumar built a diverse ad portfolio

Akshay Kumar turns 59 today, September 9. Alongside his Bollywood career, he has built one of Indian celebrity advertising’s most enduring portfolios. His appeal lies not only in the number of brands he has endorsed, but in the range of identities he represents: action hero, fitness enthusiast, comic entertainer, responsible citizen, family man and patriot.

TAM AdEx’s Celebrity Endorsement Report named Kumar the most visible celebrity endorser on television in the first half of 2024, with average visibility of 22 hours a day. Male movie actors accounted for 42% of the television celebrity endorsement market.

Kumar’s associations span automobiles, consumer goods, insurance, healthcare, food, home improvement and technology.

Kumar’s early advertising appeal was closely tied to films such as Khiladi, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Sabse Bada Khiladi and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. His athletic image and reputation for performing his own stunts made him a natural fit for energetic, performance-led brands.

His memorable Thums Up campaigns used his parkour skills and macho, athletic persona. That image later translated into automobile and two-wheeler advertising, including associations with Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India and Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles, where it conveyed strength, performance and reliability.

Comedy broadened his appeal

Films such as Hera Pheri, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Garam Masala, Welcome and the Housefull franchise established Kumar as comic, self-deprecating and relatable.

Brands could now cast him not only as an invincible action hero, but as an ordinary consumer in exaggerated situations.

His association with Sting used humour and surprise to support the “Energy Bole Toh Sting” proposition. His Dollar Industries campaign similarly used his comic timing in an airport-security setting.

The appeal was clear: Kumar could make functional categories entertaining without losing mass appeal.

The rise of the responsible Akshay

Films including Airlift, Rustom, Jolly LLB 2, Gold, Kesari, Mission Mangal, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Pad Man added trust, responsibility, patriotism and social consciousness to his image.

By 2018, reports had identified more than 20 brand associations across health, hygiene, insurance, automobiles, footwear, consumer goods and real estate.

His Harpic association, including the Mission Swachhta Aur Paani initiative with News18, is a strong example of this shift. The campaign used comedy, culture, technology, music and education to promote sanitation, building on the conversation around hygiene that Toilet: Ek Prem Katha had helped mainstream.

Likewise, Pad Man brought menstrual hygiene into popular culture, with its marketing extending through the #PadManChallenge.

In both cases, Kumar’s film career became part of the brand’s communication ecosystem.

Fitness as a brand asset

Kumar’s martial arts background, disciplined routines and fitness image have made him a natural fit for health and wellness brands.

In November 2025, Dabur Chyawanprash featured him in its “Beemaar Ya Taiyyar” campaign, positioning immunity as preparation for everyday challenges.

His Fortune association similarly connected his health-conscious image with everyday kitchen choices through its 2025 campaign.

Kumar has also shown that celebrity advertising need not require him to play himself.

For PolicyBazaar and PaisaBazaar, he appeared as Yamraj in a humorous campaign about financial protection, demonstrating his ability to shift between realism and exaggerated characters while remaining recognisable.

Technology enters the portfolio

In January 2025, POCO India appointed Kumar as brand ambassador for the X7 series. His fearless persona and mass appeal supported the “Made of MAD” and “Xceed Your Limits” campaigns.

The partnership continued with the POCO F7 campaign, showing how his image could be adapted for younger technology audiences.

The same celebrity can now represent both a trusted household name and an energetic youth-focused technology brand.

2026: Brand Akshay expands

In March 2026, JK Maxx Paints appointed Kumar as brand ambassador, citing his credibility, relatability and associations with performance and trust.

A month later, Crystal Crop Protection appointed him for its first national campaign, “Desh Ka Kisan, Desh Ka Asli Hero”, celebrating farmers and promoting modern agricultural solutions.

The choice reflects his expanding range: the actor once associated with speed and adventure now also speaks to farmers, homeowners and families.

Longevity brings scrutiny

A large endorsement portfolio also brings reputational responsibility.

Kumar faced criticism over his association with Vimal Elaichi, apologised and announced that he would step away. The episode reflects growing scrutiny of celebrity endorsements and surrogate advertising.

For marketers, the lesson is broader: reach is no longer enough. A celebrity’s values, personal brand and product category must also align.

More than an endorser

Kumar’s longevity comes from the many versions of him that brands can use: Khiladi Kumar for action, the comic actor for entertainment, the fitness enthusiast for health, the responsible citizen for hygiene and social causes, the patriot for national narratives, the family man for FMCG and the established superstar for trust-led categories.

His filmography has created a portfolio of advertising identities.

Brand Akshay has evolved with his roles — and with the roles audiences believe he can credibly play.

At 59, the Khiladi has changed the game again: from being a brand face to becoming a flexible brand asset in himself.