f there is Paresh Rawal dancing in anticipation of a free pizza, there is a Juhi Chawla spoofing characters from television serials. Elsewhere, Harsha Bhogle can be seen endorsing artificial sweeteners or joining ranks with Naseeruddin Shah to share his reasons for placing faith in a particular insurance brand. Saying "umuh�not enough" to glucose biscuits is Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, and one may recollect Javed Akhtar writing poetry with a certain �fighter� pen.

These are not scenes from random TVCs. They have a common feature - a "not-so-obvious endorser". Call them what you may - second-rung celebrities, semi-celebs, low-aura celebrities - but over the years, they have consistently made their presence felt in commercials, endorsing brands compatible or ... well... otherwise. What makes them �second-rung� or �semi� is a lower media presence, sometimes a lower glamour quotient, less fame and a lower youth appeal compared to �top-rung celebrity endorsers� such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Preity Zinta and a handful of other big stars. And while big celebrities are used mostly as characters in the story and are not portrayed as the stars semi-celebs are, interestingly, often shown as celebrities! ... more