Ranbir Kapoor Birthday: How brands are cashing in on his many on-screen personas

Ranbir Kapoor turns 44 today, 28 September 2026, but brands are not just celebrating the actor. They are revisiting the characters that have shaped his pop-culture recall. Kapoor’s filmography has given marketers a ready-made library of recognisable personalities. Increasingly, brands are bringing these characters back into advertising, using nostalgia and character recognition to make otherwise familiar product campaigns more culturally relevant.

A recent body wash campaign takes the idea quite literally, bringing together five of Kapoor's on-screen personas: Ayan from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Bunny from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Jordan from Rockstar, Murphy (aka Barfi) from Barfi! and Shiva from Brahmāstra. Each represents a distinctly different version of the actor, allowing the campaign to turn his filmography itself into the creative device.

It is essentially five Ranbirs in one campaign, with five different personalities, but one recognisable face.

The appeal for brands lies in the familiarity of these characters. Instead of building a new campaign character from scratch, marketers can tap into personalities that audiences already associate with specific emotions, memories and cultural moments. For a generation that grew up watching Kapoor's films, the character becomes a shorthand for nostalgia, while the actor provides the continuity across the campaign.

The approach reflects a recurring feature of Kapoor’s advertising work: brands have often used his screen persona as a creative device rather than relying only on his presence as a celebrity.

From Pepsi to automobiles

One of Kapoor’s early prominent endorsements was Pepsi’s Youngistaan campaign, which drew on his youthful image. He later appeared in campaigns for Lay’s, Coca-Cola and Oreo, taking on everyday consumption categories where humour and familiar situations often drive the communication.

In automobiles, Kapoor has featured in campaigns for Hero MotoCorp’s Maestro scooters and Renault’s Kwid. The associations placed him in categories targeting younger consumers and first-time buyers. His endorsement portfolio has also included Lenovo and OPPO in consumer electronics, as well as Flipkart in e-commerce.

Asian Paints has used Kapoor in campaigns for its paint range, including Ultima Protek. These advertisements have relied on narrative-led storytelling to communicate product features. The actor has also appeared in campaigns for insurance and financial services, including Tata AIG and Moneyview.

Kapoor’s recent campaigns have extended into categories that use storytelling to communicate product attributes and brand heritage.

In February 2026, PNG Jewellers launched Legacy Is Our Biggest Gold, featuring Kapoor in a campaign conceptualised by AdVinciCode. Set within an art installation, the film traces the jewellery brand’s 194-year history and its expansion beyond its origins in Sangli. The campaign connects the company’s heritage with its national growth ambitions.

In March, Ledure Lightings featured Kapoor as “The Vibologist” in a campaign built around the idea that lighting can change the atmosphere of a space. The character uses humour to explain the role of lighting in a couple’s home.

Asian Paints also brought Kapoor into a campaign for its Damp Proof waterproofing solution, featuring actor Saurabh Shukla in a qawwali-style film. The advertisement addresses concerns around terrace leakage and heat, using the format to communicate the product’s functional benefits.

Several campaigns have used Kapoor’s film roles as a starting point for their creative ideas. In a September 2026 advertisement for Rungta Steel, Kapoor appeared alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt, with the three actors drawing on their film characters to pitch ideas for the brand.

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Kapoor’s segment references Rockstar, while Khan draws on Don and Bhatt uses her character from Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The advertisement uses film references and exchanges between the actors to communicate the steel brand’s proposition.

The format is also visible in campaigns that have used Kapoor’s characters from Wake Up Sid and Barfi! as familiar reference points. In these advertisements, nostalgia becomes a way to connect a product with an existing audience memory.

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt as a brand pairing

Kapoor’s advertising presence with wife Alia Bhatt has become another part of his endorsement portfolio. The two have appeared together in campaigns across categories, including Myntra, where they feature in the platform’s 2026 Big Fashion Festival campaign.

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The campaign turns everyday incidents into exaggerated stories that end with a shopping decision. Kapoor’s films revolve around situations such as spotting an ex’s scrunchie during Diwali cleaning, while Bhatt’s advertisements use other everyday moments to build towards the sale proposition.

Their joint advertising presence is also reflected in TAM AdEx’s Celebrity Endorsement Report for 2025, released in 2026. The report attributes a 14% share of celebrity-couple television advertising duration to Kapoor and Bhatt across 37 brands. The figure refers to brands endorsed by the couple, individually and together, and not to the number of advertisements.

Kapoor’s advertising work now sits alongside his own business ventures. His lifestyle brand ARKS, launched in 2025, began with footwear and has since expanded into apparel. The actor has said the brand could explore categories such as athleisure, underwear and furniture.

His upcoming portrayal of Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana adds another dimension to his public image. The film’s promotional campaign has generated attention around the actor’s transformation for the role.

For advertisers, Kapoor’s portfolio offers a range of recognisable associations, from the youthful characters of his early films to the more mature roles of recent years. The Flux campaign’s use of his filmography shows how those screen identities can be repurposed to introduce a new brand, while his work across categories continues to link celebrity endorsement with product-led storytelling.

As Ranbir Kapoor turns 44, here’s wishing the actor a very happy birthday and many more memorable roles in the years ahead.