Hush Puppies Secures Vir Das Endorsement In India 

Global footwear brand Hush Puppies, distributed by Bata India, has struck an endorsement deal with Vir Das as its new brand ambassador. 

The deal began just before Vir Das became the first Indian to ever host the 52nd International Emmy Awards last week. 

The collaboration begins with a branded content reel featuring the 45-year-old actor and comedian preparing for the Emmys. As he gets ready in a suit, he realises he’s missing his shoes. After searching, he finds his Hush Puppies and declares, “Hi, this is Vir Das, finally ready for the Emmys, with my Hush Puppies.”

Deepika Deepti, Head of Marketing, Bata India, stated,  “We are truly proud to have the incredibly talented Vir Das lead the brand conversation for Hush Puppies. His unique style, on-the-move global lifestyle, ability to question status quo and humane values perfectly resonate with Hush Puppies’ promise of style and elevated comfort.”

Vir Das echoed her sentiments, “When Hush Puppies called, I thought, ‘Great, now even my shoes will have better timing than me.’ But seriously, shoes that look good, feel great, and share my love for comfort and dogs? It’s like they took my spirit animal and turned it into a shoe. Couldn’t be more thrilled to join the ‘bright side’!”

According to ASN data, Bata, the distributor of Hush Puppies, has been muted in the Indian sponsorship landscape since Q222 after withdrawing from an endorsement deal worth US$232k with Bollywood star Kriti Sanon. Prior to that, the brand had deals with Nupur Sanon, an actor and younger sister of Kriti Sanon, as well as backing a string of TV shows.  The Hush Puppies deal with Vir Das seems to herald a concerted return to the sponsorship landscape.