Virat Kohli is the new choice as PepsiCo ends 11-yr-long association with MS Dhoni

It seems brands are now looking for a more youthful and energetic icon as captain cool MS Dhoni’s brand endorsements have come down to 10 from 18.

The recent brand to end its association with Dhoni is PepsiCo, which ended the 11-year-old association with him and announced Virat Kohli as the new icon.

Dhoni was associated with PepsiCo since 2005 and did some amazing campaigns such as 'Oh Yes Abhi' and 'Change The Game'.

PepsiCo V-P for beverages Vipul Prakash said, “At PepsiCo, our focus in advertising and marketing is to make our products the hero and celebrate the hero. The idea will always play the most important role. If there's a role for the celebrity that helps take forward the idea of celebrating our product, we're more than happy to taking it further.”

Industry experts say Kohli is the new choice as he exudes more flamboyance. Also, as per reports he charges around Rs 2 crore a day versus Rs 1.5 crore by Dhoni and when it comes to annual contracts, Dhoni's fee is Rs 8 crore.

Meanwhile, till 2014, Dhoni endorsed 18 brands including Pepsi, Reebok, Boost, Dabur, Sony, TVS Motors, Videocon, Orient Fans and Big Bazaar.

In April, Dhoni voluntarily quit as brand ambassador of realty firm Amrapali.

"Every star, Indian or international, sees this transitional phase of graduating from a youth icon to an all-time legend. We could compare this to the careers of Sachin Tendulkar, when he signed brands like Audemars Piguet, BMW and RBS. Or like Tiger Woods with Accenture. Dhoni is likely to attract mature brands and consolidate more with SEC A+, 30-year-old-plus audiences," Sangeet Shirodkar, director at Off-Spin Sports and Entertainment, told ET.