Deepika Padukone serves as Nykaa's 'global face'—primarily for Indian fans

Actress Deepika Padukone was appointed as the global brand ambassador for beauty e-commerce platform Nykaa this week. The new advertisement features Padukone, who is dressed in a stunning golden ensemble, dancing to Mikey McCleary’s 2011 remix of the classic track ‘Hawa Hawai’. She applies makeup and a mist of fragrance as she gets ready for a cozy night in.The ad’s final sales talk—‘Why put on clothes just to go out? “Get dressed up for yourself, because you’re the Nykaa, the lead heroine of your own life” clearly explains why it would resonate with so many women.The campaign is based on a brand plank introduced by Nykaa in 2021, the year it became publicly traded. However, the campaign’s positioning of Padukone as a ‘global icon’—rather than merely a Hindi film star revered in India and among the Indian diaspora—is even more remarkable.Nykaa's campaign press release mentions Padukone multiple times as a 'Global Icon,' yet it curiously lacks any explanation of her global appeal. She is characterized as an entrepreneur, a proponent of mental health advocacy, and a “timeless beauty,” all of which are indisputable.

Padukone has invested several years in cultivating a global persona, marked by her presence at the Met Gala in NYC and the Cannes Red Carpet, her role as a Cannes Film Festival jury member in 2022, and her position as a global brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton that year. In 2017, she appeared in a minor role in the Hollywood action movie xXx and is said to be cast in its sequel as well.