Exclusive: Wild Stone ropes in Ranbir Kapoor

Wild Stone, a male grooming brand from McNROE, has roped in Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor as its brand ambassador. The Kolkata-based company has been aggressively fighting with ITC’s Engage and Nivea for second spot in the pecking order among the top three deodorant brands in the country. Vini Cosmetics’ Fogg tops the chart among the deodorant brands.

McNROE, which has avoided the celebrity endorsement route since its inception in 1986, has finally given in to the temptation to rope in a Bollywood biggie. “Ranbir’s cool demeanour and innate sensibilities completely resonate with brand Wild Stone,” says Narendra Daga, founder and managing director of McNROE, which rolled out Wild Stone deodorants in 2007.

Wild Stone’s choice of Kapoor, who is perceived as a ‘charming, and confident youth icon’ is in line with the core values of the brand, he adds. “We are all about modern, confident and inclusive masculinity,” he adds. The market for male grooming, in general, and deodorants and fragrances is growing at almost 15 percent. With huge youth appeal, Wild Stone now aims to drive greater brand salience on a pan-India level through their association with the tremendously talented Bollywood superstar, Daga says.