Karan Johar turns 52: A year of great ads for the filmmaker

Love him or hate him, but ignore Karan Johar, one can’t. The showman is known for his big-budget, high-glam style of filmmaking and movies that rake in big bucks. From Kuch Kuch Hota Hain to Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, Johar’s movies represent a blend of traditional Indian values and cultures with Western sensibilities.

Thanks to this unique style of movie-making, his fandom cuts across age groups and geographies.  

More importantly, Johar’s movies have left an indelible impact on India’s popular culture—from fashion to lingo—in the last 25 years.  

In a country where most celebrity brand ambassadors are Bollywood actors, models and sportspersons, Johar is an anomaly. He belongs to a rare breed of celebrity endorsers who are known for their work behind the camera rather than in front of one.  

Apart from making Koffee With Karan a household name in India and briging celebrity gossip to living rooms of the country, Johar is also a trendsetter who redefined parenthood by becoming a single father to twins.  

Given his unique star power and influence over India’s cultural zeitgeist, Johar is a sought-after celebrity by brands big and small, especially from the lifestyle space. Johar landed some plum endorsement deals from brands such as Asian Paints, The Sleep Company, Lenskart and Sebamed in the recent past.

The filmmaker turns 52 today. On the occasion of Karan Johar’s birthday, we look at some of his endorsements and adverts this year.

Asian Paints Royale Glitz

Johar added a suprise element in this Asian Paints Royale Glitz starring brand ambassador Deepika Padukone. 

Hotstar

Johar showed that he can take a joke at his expense in an ad for Disney+ Hotstar where tags like "nepo king" were thrown at him. 

Indkal

Johar was roped in as the brand ambassador of Indkal's Air Conditioners, Refrigerators and Washing Machines business in India. Speaking about the partnership, Anand Dubey, CEO of Indkal Technologies, said, “We are thrilled to have Karan Johar as the face of BLACK+DECKER® Large Appliances in India. We believe Karan's style compliments our customers’ appetite for premium products with cutting-edge technology, top performance, and elegant design.”

Lenskart

Johar teamed up with actor Kiara Advani in a series of ads for Lenskart where the latter channelled her "inner Kjo."

Myntra

The filmmaker teamed up with Shah Rukh Khan for Myntra's latest ad on its End of Reason Sale. The squabbling twosome leveraged their legendary chemistry and wit to make this one of the memorable ads of the year. 

Sebamed

In a first, a babycare brand chose a single father to represent their products when they roped in Johar for their campaign. Sebamed broke grounds with their ad for their #pHmatters campaign.

StarLife

The director launched Codename StarLife by realty brand JP Infra.

The Sleep Company

The Sleep Company has launched its campaign, ‘#MadeToFlaunt,’ in partnership with Johar, showcasing the company’s Elev8-Smart Recliner Beds and SmartGRID mattresses. "Just as Karan earns admiration for his taste in luxury and curated items, Elev8 demands attention with its unparalleled comfort-tech features,” said the company.