Published 29 Jan, 2016 12:43pm

Did Hamza Ali Abbasi just take a cheeky jab at Fawad Khan in this TVC?

Celebrity endorsements for chai have hit an all-time high — with Fawad Khan brewing a cuppa for his begum and Zoe Viccaji promoting the health benefits of green tea it was only a matter of time before Hamza Ali Abbasi jumped on the teakettle — er, bandwagon.

Another trend that seems to be picking up is how brands will subtly or not so subtly reference their competition in their adverts, like that recent Nargis Fakhri- Faisal Qureshi episode.

So are we surprised that Hamza commented on all the trends above in this TVC? Not at all!

In the ad Hamza, disguised by a wig and beard (and looking pretty ridiculous!), appears next to a woman and asks her to choose the tastiest cup of tea in a blind taste-test that compares his brand against the brand Fawad Khan has been promoting.

Fawad's chai brand's got some friendly competition led by Hamza Ali Abbasi

She chooses Hamza's brand even though it's not what she usually buys. That's when Hamza rips off his disguise and says: "If I'd told you [who I was] earlier, you would've believed what I said about the chai only because it's me and not for the chai's flavour."

So cheeky, Hamza! In one sentence he manages to convey that star-powered ads have the power to shift public opinion simply because of the stature of the actor involved (in this case, Fawad Khan) — and he also references his own status as a popular social media activist.

We wonder, though, if Hamza truly believes that his fans sincerely buy into all his opinions. Hmm, we're not sure!

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