The automotive industry is abuzz with the latest collaboration between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Citroen. This partnership marks a significant milestone in Dhoni's brand endorsements, which have previously included Swaraj and TVS. While it's Dhoni's first foray into the passenger car sector, the association echoes his iconic Oreo endorsement. Just as the Oreo ad was strategically timed before the World Cup, the Citroën ad was unveiled ahead of the T20 World Cup, shot in a similar style.
Read about the upcoming Citroën Basalt.
Citroën-Dhoni team up
First, the news broke out when the cricketer tweeted on his X handle. Following that, Dhoni was seen in the Team Dhoni advert, which even includes Citroën x Dhoni merchandise. Dhoni’s contract with Citroen is rumoured to be for Rs 7 crore for two years. However, Citroën has not commented on it. The advertisement aims to support Team India for the T20 World Cup and names the supporters with Citroën Team Dhoni.
Former Captain has a massive appeal in the entire nation; he is also a household name, and the French manufacturer is a newbie in the Indian market. Although Citroën has a century-old history and well-established recognition elsewhere, the brand hopes the new endorsement efforts will lift the reputation of the brand here. However, celebrity endorsements might make the brand more popular, but at the max, it will bring more people to search about the brand or head out to check it out personally. After that stage, the brand should offer a quality dealership experience and a compelling product lineup. No brand ambassador can save poor products in the cutthroat Indian market.
We don’t mean to be pessimistic – we all Indians can relate to another new brand creating waves with King Khan. Hyundai was also an unfamiliar brand for a large part of the country back then, which signed up Shah Rukh at the peak of his career and complemented the campaign with a good product lineup. Now, the brand is the second-largest manufacturer when it comes to sales in the country. The current sales numbers of Citroën are among the lowest of them all. The brand only launched its first product in 2021 and has three products in the lineup. Citroen Basalt will be very important for the brand, and the soon-to-be-launched coupe SUV looks promising nonetheless. Citroën is known for its ride quality and innovation in the rest of the world – in India, we have seen the former quality and the audience are patiently waiting for the latter.
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