Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is all set to give West Bengal a facelift. The former red state is changing to blue - from state buildings to infrastructure, even private houses are requested to follow the colour scheme, all thanks to Didi's latest diktat.
But more than that, she's ready to give a new face to the state. Who? Shah Rukh Khan! The man who is sells Fair & Handsome, Hyundai i10, Pepsodent, among others is now going hardsell West Bengal as the state's new and first brand ambassador.
SRK has been in the running since 2011. While Bengali bhadralok have been raising a stink about this rather 'unobvious' choice, on February 13 the formal announcement was made and SRK called West Bengal his "second home". Will King Khan's campaign follow on the lines of Big B's blitzkrieg for Gujarat or will it be a low-key affair, only time will tell. For now, states are gunning for celebs to sexify their image.
State of a Star
Amitabh Kant - the man behind the Incredible Indiacampaign - calls it a positive move as the state's are finally waking up to the potential of tourism. Currently, Kant is busy with his latest assignment as the managing director and CEO of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor but he started the trend by gettingAamir Khan on board the voice of reason for the 'Atithi Devo Bavah' campaign.
But more than that, she's ready to give a new face to the state. Who? Shah Rukh Khan! The man who is sells Fair & Handsome, Hyundai i10, Pepsodent, among others is now going hardsell West Bengal as the state's new and first brand ambassador.
SRK has been in the running since 2011. While Bengali bhadralok have been raising a stink about this rather 'unobvious' choice, on February 13 the formal announcement was made and SRK called West Bengal his "second home". Will King Khan's campaign follow on the lines of Big B's blitzkrieg for Gujarat or will it be a low-key affair, only time will tell. For now, states are gunning for celebs to sexify their image.
State of a Star
Amitabh Kant - the man behind the Incredible Indiacampaign - calls it a positive move as the state's are finally waking up to the potential of tourism. Currently, Kant is busy with his latest assignment as the managing director and CEO of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor but he started the trend by gettingAamir Khan on board the voice of reason for the 'Atithi Devo Bavah' campaign.
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"Tourism has a huge multiplier effect and is a key driver for growth. Getting brand ambassadors shows a move towards a market-led strategy that will drive the numbers to the state," he says.
The simple funda: get the eyeballs, the footfalls follow. Kant points out that the growth of domestic tourism will lead to infrastructure boost, which in turn will lead to more global traffic.
Case in point: the Gujarat Tourism ads. According to Vipul Mittra, principal secretary, tourism, civil aviation, yatradham, industries and mines, government of Gujarat, since they got Amitabh Bachchan on board as the face of state tourism - CM Narendra Modi's brainchild - Gujarat has spiralled into one of the top states. "We shall be crossing a figure of 2 crore tourists this year.
Most major hotel chains are vying up to open new hotels and resorts in places that were promoted by the campaign like Gir, Somnath, Dwarka and even Ahmedabad," he says.
Mittra says getting Bachchan - who works pro bono - has enabled the state to win the recent TAAI award for the best tourist state. "That's why this year we again had a shoot with him covering length and breadth of the state for almost a fortnight," he says.
While Gujarat is gushing over its Big B-fuelled bonanza, there are states like Kerala and Rajasthan that are brands in themselves. While Kerala was considering Bachchan at one time, Brand Rajasthan feels that they don't need a face to sell. But there are many other states - Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh - that do. "The states are in competition with each other," Kant says.
What's In It for the Celebs
Most state brand ambassadors work for free. It's not a regular endorsement for them. In fact, industry insiders say they look at it as a social cause. The mileage: it bolsters their brand and the exposure is immense.
But not everyone is convinced. V Sunil, executive creative director, Wieden+Kennedy, an advertising agency, calls it a lazy way to market a brand. His idea: use the strengths of a state to sell it and not a face.
"To promote tourism unlike fairness cream ads there is so much the land and culture of the place can offer. They don't really need a brand ambassador," he says.
But he agrees that if there's a strong idea and the star is a part of it, then it can be a good combination. Kant says the states have to market themselves.
While Kerala, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir have managed to achieve some success, many need to create a brand entity.
Most state brand ambassadors work for free. It's not a regular endorsement for them. In fact, industry insiders say they look at it as a social cause. The mileage: it bolsters their brand and the exposure is immense.
But not everyone is convinced. V Sunil, executive creative director, Wieden+Kennedy, an advertising agency, calls it a lazy way to market a brand. His idea: use the strengths of a state to sell it and not a face.
"To promote tourism unlike fairness cream ads there is so much the land and culture of the place can offer. They don't really need a brand ambassador," he says.
But he agrees that if there's a strong idea and the star is a part of it, then it can be a good combination. Kant says the states have to market themselves.
While Kerala, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir have managed to achieve some success, many need to create a brand entity.
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Little wonder then that recently Madhya Pradesh evinced interest in getting Abhishek Bachchan (his mom is from the state), Chhattisgarh has asked Sushmita Sen to do the honours and Arunachal Pradesh wants Aamir Khan as their face. And in India, Bollywood can sell anything - from a sauce to a state.
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