Cricket has become a global phenomenon, and cricketers have become global stars. Wherever there is hype, there are endorsement deals waiting to happen. While cricketers have been endorsing brands for a long time now, rarely do they get in trouble for it. However, there have been some instances where cricketers were criticized for the ads that they starred in. Today we will take a look at 5 such brand advertisements which put cricketers in trouble.
Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant
In today’s world, people have become more aware of the ‘inner beauty’ rather than focusing on physical flaws. That’s why the fairness cream advertisements are considered tone-deaf to the environment. So when Virat Kohli shared a glimpse of the ad that showed him and Rishabh Pant rapping about pimples, it wasn’t well received. Even players like Stuart Broad and Brad Hodge criticized the ad.
MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni was in the news for the wrong reasons due to his advertisement of a product of ‘McDowells No. 1’. The ad in question poked some fun at Harbhajan Singh’s ad for the same brand. It showed his lookalike getting slapped by a man, and Dhoni making some witty remarks on it. Thus, it was considered poor in taste and was widely criticized.
Harbhajan Singh
Speaking of Harbhajan Singh, his ad which was mocked my MSD’s was also panned. When news came out that he was endorsing a liquor brand and was ready to appear without a turban,the Sikh community was outraged. They demanded an apology from the cricketer for appearing in an ad in an ‘unethical’ manner.
Virat Kohli
When Virat Kohli started making news for all the right reasons, he was roped in by Fastrack to endorse their products. He was cast alongside Genelia Deshmukh. In the ads that followed, they were shown getting close, leading to some steamy scenes.The adverts were considered too much for the Indian audience and were panned by the majority.
Steve Smith
Australian cricket was rocked by the ball-tampering scandal, and Steve Smith was suspended alongside David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. During his hiatus, a Vodafone advertisement featuring him was released. He talked about his actions in the clip. The move was widely criticized in the country, and was considered ‘disgraceful’ to monetize the scandal.
