After hat-trick, Irfan likely to swing into Rs 1 cr ad league

Deepak Mohanty - Televisionpoint.com
Vadodara charmer Irfan Pathan's hat-trick created ripples not just in the Pakistani camp but also, miles away from the field, in the Indian advertising world. Pathan's on-field magic has catapulted his brand image dramatically. His endorsement rate which stood at Rs 25 to Rs 30 lakhs in 2004, and Rs 50 to Rs 60 lakhs in March 2005, is now expected to touch the one crore mark.

"Irfan's market price is certainly going to shoot up. I won't be surprised if he now charges Rs one crore, A hattrick makes headlines and advertisers love hogging the limelight." says an ad guru.

In the ongoing series, Pathan has also lived up to his allrounder image, making good use of the willow. "Such feats always help in promoting a name and the advertising world takes its hats off for the hat-trick genius," says the guru.

Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar agrees. He feels that Irfan's endorsement prospects were always good and he would go a long way unless he succumbs to an injury and fizzles out. "Irfan is a great player and good looking. He doesn't have to try hard to go an extra mile," says Kakkar.

At the same time, Kakkar blames the media and the ad world for creating hype after such a feat is achieved, either by a celebrity or a portsman. "One hat-trick doesn't make a summer. Kumble took 10 wickets in a Test match, Narendra Hirwani bamboozled the West Indies with a 16-wicket haul, what market price do they command today?" asks Kakkar.

He believes that public memory is very short and one has to be consistent to stay in the reckoning. "Tendulkar is a brand today because he has been consistently hitting centuries for the last 10 years," concludes Kakkar.