In a stunning revelation that exposes the massive fee disparity in Bollywood endorsements, former GoodGlam CEO Darpan Singh has disclosed how signing Sidharth Malhotra for a lipstick advertisement became a masterstroke that saved the company from financial strain while creating viral marketing magic.
The Budget Crunch That Forced Creative Thinking
Darpan Singh, currently featured in Prime Video's Pitch to Get Rich and previously the founder-CEO of beauty unicorn GoodGlam, recently shared the behind-the-scenes story during an interview with Think School Hindi by Zero1. The company faced a severe marketing constraint with just Rs 30-40 lakh available for their campaign - a fraction of what top Bollywood female stars typically command.
"We had very little money," Darpan confessed, highlighting the stark reality of Bollywood endorsement economics. "If we approached a top actress, her per-day rate was between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore. Most wouldn't sign for less than a three-day contract, making the total cost range between Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 3 crore."
The financial challenge was compounded by industry practices where celebrities demand long-term exclusivity. "Once they endorse a beauty brand, it blocks that category for them, so they demand long-term deals - sometimes up to three years. We simply couldn't afford that," he explained, referring to A-list actresses like Kareena Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.
The Revolutionary Male Celebrity Solution
Faced with this financial impasse, Darpan and his team embarked on unconventional thinking that would challenge beauty industry norms. "Then I thought, 'why not get a male celebrity to endorse a beauty product, specifically lipstick?'" he recalled.
The logic behind this bold move was both simple and brilliant. "A male movie star never gets a lipstick contract, so his opportunity cost is zero. It doesn't affect his brand endorsements. He's more likely to agree for a short, half-day shoot at a reasonable cost," Darpan explained.
The team recognized an additional advantage: the sheer novelty of their approach. "Plus, no one had ever used a male star to promote lipstick before - that alone would make it stand out," he added, emphasizing the campaign's potential for disruption.
Sidharth Malhotra: The Perfect Choice
After evaluating several potential candidates, the GoodGlam team zeroed in on Sidharth Malhotra as their ideal ambassador. "We finally got Sidharth - good-looking, confident, and perfect for the concept," Darpan shared enthusiastically.
The resulting campaign was both bold and memorable. "We made him go shirtless with lipstick marks all over him," Darpan recounted with evident amusement. When questioned about considering other male stars like Ranveer Singh, he humorously noted they probably "couldn't afford" him either.
The campaign's timing proved fortuitous, coinciding with the Indian government's ban on animal testing. This enabled the creation of a powerful and timely tagline: "Tested on Sid, not on animals" - accompanied by Sidharth's photo covered in lipstick marks. The combination of innovative thinking and social relevance made the campaign "go viral instantly" while staying within their constrained budget.
The Bigger Picture: Authenticity in Celebrity Endorsements
Darpan also shared broader insights about what makes celebrity endorsements genuinely effective, emphasizing that mere star power doesn't guarantee success. "For any campaign to succeed, celebs need to be deeply involved with the brands, as consumers are looking for authenticity," he stressed.
He cited his collaboration with designer Manish Malhotra on a beauty brand as a prime example of effective celebrity partnership. "Manish was very involved," Darpan revealed, explaining the designer's hands-on approach to maintaining quality standards. "To get every creative passed, it took us a lot of hard work... they made sure that everything is absolutely as per their guidelines and what Manish stands for."
The former CEO elaborated on the crucial element of credibility in celebrity-brand partnerships. "When you make a product align with a celebrity, authenticity is important. The consumer has to believe that the celebrity has made that product and that they will only believe if that celebrity is qualified to do so."
In Manish Malhotra's case, the connection was natural and convincing. "In Manish's case, what worked was that he is one of the best designers in the country, and fashion is also about color. Make-up is very important with clothes, and that's where that credibility was very instant," Darpan concluded, highlighting how genuine expertise creates believable endorsements.
This remarkable case study demonstrates how budget constraints can spark innovation, challenging industry conventions while delivering spectacular results. The Sidharth Malhotra lipstick campaign not only achieved viral success but also established a new paradigm for cost-effective celebrity marketing in the beauty industry.
