Why have ads featuring Sachin Tendulkar disappeared?

Sachin Tendulkar has found a lot of mention on twitter and in newspapers in the last few days. Other than his brief appearances on our television screens while batting, he has pretty much disappeared from the ad space. A report in the Economic Times tells us that many ads featuring the master batsman have already gone off the air. Aviva ran their last ads featuring Tendulkar in January-March. Adidas have had no ads since May. Coca-Cola’s campaign featuring Sachin ran in May-June and Canon have already decided not to renew their contract with him. [caption id=“attachment_545697” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Out of sight, out of mind? AP[/caption] The report also mentioned that other companies such as RBS Bank and Future Group have traditionally used Tendulkar only for co-branding exercises. Only Toshiba are still airing ads featuring the 39-year-old. Now, the sponsors have been quick to add that the disappearing act has nothing to do with Tendulkar’s form. And World Sport Group (India), the talent management firm that represents Tendulkar, told Economic Times that the maestro is still visible. “Clients are using Sachin and his image as we speak, in both above-the-line and below-the-line campaigns. Most of them have just completed their media bursts for Diwali. He has also recently shot a few campaigns and these will go on air as and when the clients decide their plans,” said Harish Krishnamachar, senior VP & country head at WSG. But the questions is: why are the clients holding back the ads if they have already shot them? It surely has a lot to do with his bad run of form. If he keeps appearing in ads, one can almost see people shaking their heads and saying: He’s doing it only for money. With every failure, the pressure on Sachin to retire is mounting and in today’s world, public perception is a very powerful thing. It can make or break a player’s career and mentally, it can be very hard for the players. But more importantly, it can make companies steer clear of the player. Ever wondered why Rahul Dravid never got as many ads as Yuvraj Singh despite being a vastly better player? Ever wondered why Virat Kohli is the cool dude while Cheteshwar Pujara will never quite get there? Once again, it’s public perception at play. So at this point, companies prefer avoiding the issue completely. So getting Sachin ads off the air seems logical. But on the flip side, one Sachin century might change all that. Remember, public memory is pretty short.