GURGAON:
Nestle India has dropped Rani Mukerji, its brand ambassador for Munch
chocolates, ending a four-year association with the actress.
Sources told ET that Nestle is
looking for a younger star to endorse its brand, and a possible repositioning of
the brand on the youth
platform.
When contacted by ET,
a Nestle spokesperson said, “After four years of successful partnership
with Rani Mukerji, we have mutually agreed not to renew the advertising
contract. Nestle wishes Rani Mukerji many more years of continued success in her
career.”
Rani was
Nestle’s biggest star brand ambassador. With the exception of a couple of
brands such as Munch and Maggi sauces, the foods major has not relied on
Bollywood stars to promote its brands.
Ram Mukerji, Rani’s
father who manages the actor’s career, maintained: “Nestle recently
approached us to discuss the status of Rani’s deal with them. We decided
to part ways mutually since Rani has already been associated with their Munch
brand for four years.”
However,
a source said Nestle was not keen on renewing its association with the star.
“Apart from wanting a younger face for the brand, what also led Nestle to
distance itself from Rani was the way her career is going.” Rani has not
delivered a hit in the past one year, and has featured in back-to-back flops
like Ta Ra Rum Pum, Saawariya and Laaga chunari mein
daag.
The confectionery-based
chocolate was launched about a decade back as a mass brand, priced lower than
Nestle’s other chocolate brand, KitKat. Munch, positioned as an ‘any
time consumption product’, had led rival Cadbury India to also reposition
its Perk brand on the price platform.
The Rs 5 price point of Munch,
which helped prop up the brand’s sales in smaller towns, was learnt to fit
well with Rani’s image as a mass-appeal star. The advertising for Munch is
handled by JWT.
Another company
that decided not to renew its contract with Rani was Coca-Cola for its Fanta
brand.