Rohit Sharma becomes brand ambassador of Marico-owned True Elements; to launch co-branded range of healthy food

From L to R: Sreejith Moolayil, Rohit Sharma and Puru Gupta

Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has partnered with Marico’s True Elements as the company’s brand ambassador, the company said on September 2. Sharma will also work with the healthy foods brand to launch his own line of c0-branded products - RS by True Elements.

Pune-based True Elements makes and sells oats, muesli, healthy seeds, regional snacks across the country via different sales channels, including offline and online retailers. FMCG giant Marico acquired a majority stake in the company in 2022, about six years after it was founded.

“This is a good time and opportunity to launch RS by True Elements, where, today, the focus for consumers is to know what they are eating. I have been a fan of True Elements, as they have stayed committed to their values and business philosophy. The partnership is aimed at building an alternative product line for consumers to make their preferred choice and be more aware of what is being offered to them,” Rohit Sharma said.

Sharma joining True Elements is yet another instance where companies are tapping celebrities and going beyond just making them a brand ambassador. This includes launching dedicated product lines, roping them as co-founders and giving them equity in exchange for their social currency, raising money in exchange for equity and being featured in shoots etc.

Partnership like these are not new.

D2C brands, like Epigamia, Blue Tokai have raised money from Deepika Padukone who endorses the two brands. Similarly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was recently roped in as the brand ambassador and was also given equity in mobility startup EMotorad. Even actress Kriti Sanon had a similar arrangement with Hyphen from Mcaffeine.

Down south, filter coffee and snacks company VS Mani & Co joined forces with singer Anirudh Ravichander.

Several of these arrangements happen because companies do not want to spend too much by paying celebrities upfront for simple endorsements but however want to leverage their network and fan following to grow their revenue streams.

“This is the first time a cricketer is partnering with a health food brand in India - a first for the ecosystem. It is an experiment but something we are confident of. Given the authenticity that Rohit has in cricket, we believe it would help us reinforce our commitment to being ‘True’ and honest with our customers, and help us scale rapidly,” Puru Gupta, co-founder and CEO, True Elements, said.