Advertisements featuring actor Shah Rukh Khan have resumed on television and social media after being briefly halted by companies following his son Aryan Khan‘s arrest in the cruise ship drug probe.
Several big brands including ed tech companies and chocolate makers had pulled down all ads featuring the actor across all media after facing severe backlash on social media platforms following Aryan’s arrest earlier this month. On October 3, Khan’s son was taken into custody by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a case related to the seizure of drugs on board a cruise ship. His bail plea has been rejected twice and he currently remains in custody.
According to a Business Standard report, industry experts said that though the controversy may have halted his endorsement engagements, it has not dented the superstar’s popularity among corporates.
On Sunday during the India vs Pakistan T20 world cup match, the ed tech platform Byju’s, which had paused its advertisements featuring Khan, resumed the ad. Following backlash on social media for having the actor as the brand ambassador for the company ad that talks about “a better future for children”, Byju’s had pulled down all their ads across all platforms.
Owned by Mondelez International, the premiere confectionary company Cadbury also resumed its advertisements featuring Khan this week with the latest Diwali edition.
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“The launch of the new campaign was a way of lending support to local ventures, helping them build resilience, especially after the pandemic,” said the senior director (marketing) of Mondelez India, Anil Viswanathan to PTI as reported by Business Standard.
He added that the company is “thrilled to onboard the nation’s most beloved and talented actor, Shah Rukh Khan as the face of the current campaign.”
Other brands including Vimal Pan Masala and LG Electronics have also resumed their advertisements featuring Khan.
Ranked fourth in the list after Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, actors Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh, Khan has a brand valuation of USD 51.1 million, as per the report.