A Study On Consumer Perception Of Bollywood Actors’ Endorsement In Surrogate Advertisements

Kahkashan Afridi; Jesus Milton Rousseau S

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.88455

A Study On Consumer Perception Of Bollywood Actors’ Endorsement In Surrogate Advertisements

Author(s)	Kahkashan Afridi, Dr. Jesus Milton Rousseau S
Country	India
Abstract	Advertising has become an inseparable part of modern consumer culture and plays a major role in shaping awareness, recall, attitudes, and purchase behaviour. In India, one of the most debated forms of advertising is surrogate advertising, especially in relation to tobacco, gutka, and pan masala products. Since direct advertisements of tobacco products have been prohibited, companies often promote legally permitted products such as elaichi, mouth fresheners, or silver-coated cardamom under the same brand identity as banned or regulated products. This allows them to retain brand recall and indirectly promote their core products. The present study examines consumer perception of Bollywood actors’ endorsement in surrogate advertisements, with special focus on pan masala and tobacco-linked brands. Bollywood actors are among the most influential public figures in India, and their presence in advertisements can strongly affect public memory, product perception, and social acceptance. The study investigates whether consumers identify these advertisements as promotions for the displayed product or as indirect promotions for tobacco-related products. It also explores how celebrity presence shapes recall, perception, and possible purchase intention. The research uses a quantitative survey method with a sample size of 115 respondents across India, selected through snowball sampling. The questionnaire examined awareness of surrogate advertising, perception of product image, influence on buying decisions, impact of social media and television, and recall of selected celebrity-based ad campaigns involving actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Priyanka Chopra. The findings suggest that respondents are generally aware of surrogate advertising, and a large majority believe that Bollywood actors play a significant role in influencing consumer choices regarding banned or regulated products. Social media emerged as the most influential platform for such advertisements. The study concludes that surrogate advertising remains a powerful promotional strategy and that celebrity endorsement contributes significantly to brand recall and normalization of harmful or controversial products.
Keywords	Surrogate Advertising, Pan Masala, Gutka, Tobacco, Bollywood Actors, Consumer Perception, Celebrity Endorsement, Brand Recall
Field	Sociology > Journalism / Media
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-09-26
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.88455

View / Download PDF File

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

A Study On Consumer Perception Of Bollywood Actors’ Endorsement In Surrogate Advertisements

Share this