Why Some Brands Choose Long-Term Celeb Tie-Ups Instead of Influencers

Find out why many brands choose long-term celebrity tie-ups over short-term influencer campaigns. This page breaks down how steady partnerships with famous faces help brands build trust, boost recall, and connect better with customers across India.

Brands are always looking for better ways to connect with people. Some use influencers to sell fast. Others rely on long-term relationships with celebrities to build trust. Both work, but for some industries, celebrity endorsements make more sense than performance-driven influencer marketing.

Let’s look at why that happens and where each method fits best.

1. Brand Trust and Credibility Are Crucial in Certain Industries

Industries impacted: Insurance, Finance, Healthcare, Luxury Products, Automobiles

People don’t buy everything the same way. You might try a new soft drink without much thought. But buying a car, signing up for health insurance, or choosing a bank? That takes trust. And trust builds slowly.

When a brand sticks with a celebrity for years, people start to link the face with the product. The trust they have in the celebrity passes to the brand.

Take Hyundai, for example. They worked with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for more than two decades. Over time, people started seeing him as part of the brand. This helped Hyundai feel more familiar and reliable.

Or think about luxury perfumes and watches. These industries rely on image, status, and trust. A celebrity face, shown in the same way over time, helps build that image. A single influencer post can’t always do that.

2. Longer Brand Recall Through Repetition and Familiarity

Industries impacted: Automobiles, FMCG, Telecom

If you keep seeing the same celebrity promoting a brand again and again, you remember it. That’s how long-term memory works. Repetition helps. Familiar faces help.

Take Glow & Lovely (formerly Fair & Lovely), a brand that has worked with Yami Gautam. Her continued presence helped people link the brand with her personality. It’s the same with Hrithik Roshan and Mountain Dew. His energy fits the product, and the long-term tie-up keeps the connection strong.

Influencer marketing often uses new faces every few weeks. That makes it harder for people to remember the brand later. Long-term celebrity endorsements build stronger recall.

3. Better Narrative Control and Cohesive Storytelling

Industries impacted: Personal Care, Fashion, Lifestyle

Good advertising doesn’t just show a product. It tells a story. This is easier when one person represents the brand over time. It allows the brand to build a consistent story that feels real.

Think of Virat Kohli and Manyavar. Their ads don’t just sell clothes. They show weddings, traditions, and family moments. He’s part of a bigger story. And that story only works because he’s been with the brand for years.

Influencer marketing often feels like one-time product pushes. A post goes live, gets likes, then disappears. There’s no time to build a bigger picture or develop a theme.

4. Celebrity Endorsements Offer Mass Appeal

Industries impacted: Beverages, Electronics, Consumer Durables

Influencers usually speak to smaller groups. Maybe their followers are from one city, speak one language, or belong to one age group. But celebrities often appeal to people across India.

Think about Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, or Alia Bhatt. People in big cities and small towns know them. This makes their messages travel far and wide.

Cadbury’s Diwali ad with Amitabh Bachchan is a great example. He didn’t just promote a chocolate. The ad used his voice to encourage people to buy from small shops. It felt local and personal, even though it came from a national brand. People trusted the message because it came from him.

That kind of reach is hard to get from influencer marketing. A local influencer might do well in their region, but they may not connect with people elsewhere.

5. Performance Marketing Metrics Don’t Capture Emotional Connection

Industries impacted: Jewellery, Weddings, Perfumes, Emotional Products

Influencer marketing is great for performance. You can track clicks, conversions, and engagement. But it’s not always about numbers. Some industries care more about how people feel.

Jewellery brands are a good example. Tanishq doesn’t just want to sell gold. They want to be part of people’s special moments. That’s why they’ve worked with Deepika Padukone. Her presence adds emotion to the ad. Over time, that emotional link becomes stronger.

One-time influencer posts might drive sales. But they often don’t make people feel anything lasting. That’s where celebrity endorsements win.

6. Long-Term Celeb Tie-Ups Offer Strategic Flexibility

Industries impacted: Telecom, Travel, Consumer Electronics

When a brand signs a celebrity for the long haul, they use that person across everything:  TV, print, YouTube, social media, events, and in-store posters. It helps them stay consistent everywhere.

MakeMyTrip did this with Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. You saw them in TV ads, digital videos, and on billboards. The message was simple and the faces were familiar. This helped the brand stay visible across channels.

Influencer marketing usually sticks to social media. That limits how far the message goes. Celebrities, on the other hand, fit into every format.

Build Long-Term Trust with the Right Celebrity for Your Brand

When Influencer Marketing Still Wins

Influencer marketing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s growing fast. It works well when you want quick results, reach a specific group, or push a new product.

•  New brands with limited budgets

Small brands that can’t afford a celebrity can work with influencers to get early recognition.

• Short campaigns

Flash sales, contests, or quick product launches often work better with influencers who can post fast and get instant reactions.

• Niche audiences

Want to reach pet owners, new moms, or tech geeks? Influencers are perfect for that. They speak to tight-knit communities who trust them.

• Younger audiences

Teens and Gen Z spend more time online than watching TV. They follow creators, not celebs. For these groups, influencer marketing often works better.

Celebrity Endorsements vs. Influencer Marketing: A Simple Comparison

A Closer Look at Celebrity Endorsements That Worked

Some celebrity partnerships last for years. These aren’t one-time ads. These are long-term relationships that help people remember the brand.

Here’s a more detailed look at those long-term celebrity endorsements.

• Amitabh Bachchan for Cadbury

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Amitabh Bachchan has been the face of Cadbury for many years now. His ads aren’t just about chocolates. They usually carry a warm, emotional message. In one Diwali ad, he used his voice to encourage people to buy from local stores.

The ad didn’t just push a product. It gave people a reason to feel something. Because he’s trusted across generations, his presence made the message feel genuine. Over time, people began to link Cadbury with more than just sweets. They saw it as a part of happy, emotional moments.

• Hrithik Roshan for Mountain Dew

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The drink has always been shown as bold and adventurous. Hrithik’s bold style matched that idea. Whether he’s leaping off cliffs or doing tough stunts, Hrithik Roshan makes it all look real. He’s been part of Mountain Dew since 2013, and over the years, people have come to link his fearless image with the brand’s message, “Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai.”

His style and the brand’s idea of pushing past fear fit well together. Because he’s been with Mountain Dew for so long, his face and energy now feel like a natural part of the brand. That kind of strong match doesn’t happen quickly. It comes from staying consistent over time.

• Shah Rukh Khan for Hyundai

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Shah Rukh Khan has been with Hyundai for over 20 years. That’s longer than most brand partnerships. Because of this long tie-up, people now naturally link him with the brand. Hyundai became more than just a car company; it became familiar and friendly, helped by Shah Rukh’s warm image. This long-term partnership helped the brand stay in people’s minds across generations.

• Alia Bhatt for MakeMyTrip

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Alia Bhatt, along with Ranveer Singh, has been the face of MakeMyTrip for quite some time. Their ads are light, fun, and easy to understand. Alia brings a friendly and relatable touch to them. The company has used her across TV, digital, and print. This consistent use of the same faces has helped the brand stay on top of people’s minds. Whether someone is planning a short trip or a holiday, Alia’s ads help remind them of MakeMyTrip.

• Deepika Padukone for Tanishq

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Deepika Padukone’s style is graceful and calm. That’s exactly what Tanishq needed. The jewellery brand often tells stories around weddings, festivals, and family moments. Deepika fits well in that world. Her ads show her not just wearing jewellery, but being part of warm family scenes. Her image helped people feel more connected to the brand. Tanishq became more than just a jewellery store. It became a part of life’s big moments.

• Virat Kohli for Manyavar

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Virat Kohli is not just a cricketer. He’s also seen as a family man. Manyavar used that to their advantage. Their ads with him often show him in wedding scenes, surrounded by relatives and friends. This worked well for a brand that sells ethnic wear. Virat’s presence made the ads feel more real. It wasn’t about pushing a product. It was about showing Indian traditions in a modern way. And because he’s been with the brand for a long time, people now expect to see him in their festive ads.

The Bottom Line

Celebrity endorsements and influencer marketing are not enemies. They are tools. Each one works better for different goals. If you want fast clicks, influencer marketing is great. But if you want trust, emotion, and long-term memory, celebrity endorsements are often the better choice.

Some industries need patience and consistency. You can’t build trust overnight. And a one-time post from an influencer won’t always be enough. That’s why industries like insurance, healthcare, finance, jewellery, and automobiles still rely on celebrities. It’s not just about selling something. It’s about becoming a brand people remember and trust.

If you’re looking for a known face for your brand, someone people already like and follow, we can help. Whether you need a movie star, cricketer, singer, or social media influencer, we can connect you with them. It could be for an ad, a product launch, or an event appearance. We’ll help you pick the perfect face for your brand. Contact us now!