MUMBAI: Talk about a pitch-perfect fix. Hours after India’s nail-biting win over Pakistan, Pidilite’s Roff slid in with a TVC that stuck just right. Extending its tongue-in-cheek ‘Naak kat gayi’ theme, the campaign gave fans a reason to chuckle as much as cheer.
The quickfire ad was more than a lucky break. Roff had already laid the groundwork with a witty OOH campaign, rooted in cultural references that sparked chatter across social media and outdoor hoardings alike.
Fresh off an active run during the Asia Cup, the tile-fixing brand ensured its latest dig landed with maximum impact, stitching humour into the high-voltage cricketing moment.
By sticking to its signature quirk and timing the release to perfection, Roff once again cemented its place as a moment-marketing master, proving that sometimes the best way to unite India is not just through sport, but through shared laughter.
MUMBAI: Cricket advertising in India is a genre unto itself, but Sony Pictures Networks India may have just served up one of its most affecting innings yet. Its new Asia Cup promotional TVC, titled Asia Cup ka maha-muqabla, does not rely on pyrotechnics or overblown jingoism. Instead, it leans into something far more powerful: the lived reality of a billion-strong cricket nation.
The spot opens in a middle-class household, the sort instantly recognisable to viewers across India — compact, cluttered, warm. A multi-generational family, representing the classic Indian joint household, is gathered around a television set. Their emotions run the gamut from tense expectation to barely-suppressed hope. In their midst sits Virender Sehwag, the retired swashbuckler whose effortless stroke play once embodied India’s batting swagger. His presence is casual, yet symbolic: cricket is family.
On screen unfolds the ultimate cliché of Indian sport — a last-ball thriller against Pakistan. Suryakumar Yadav, known for his 360-degree stroke-making but carrying the weight of a poor run against Pakistan, takes guard against Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s fiery left-arm quick. India need three off the final delivery. The room holds its breath. Yadav unfurls his trademark flick-sweep off his pads. The ball soars over fine-leg, lands in the stands. India have won.
The family erupts. So do, by implication, the millions watching at home across the country. The genius of the commercial is that the victory is not just India’s, not just Yadav’s redemption, not just a nod to the India–Pakistan rivalry that remains cricket’s greatest theatre. It is framed as a shared triumph of nationhood.
Sony has laced the narrative with subtle social cues. The family members are deliberately cast without overt religious markers — no heavy-handed signifiers of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Christian identities. Instead, their togetherness suggests an anonymous universality, a blend of every Indian home. When one family member remarks, “God has listened to your prayers,” the phrase resonates across religions. It could as easily be said in a temple, mosque, church, or gurdwara.
This inclusivity crystallises in the closing voiceover: “When it comes to Team India, 140 crore hearts beat as one.” It is more than a tagline; it is an assertion of secular nationalism, packaged through the one institution that cuts across fault lines of caste, creed, and community — cricket.
The choice of Sehwag is inspired. His image has long been that of the approachable great: less demi-god than street-cricketer made good. Sehwag in a living room, laughing along with ordinary Indians, works as shorthand for the collapsing of boundaries between the game’s elite and its fans. In a country where cricket stars are often deified, here is one being human.
The film also plays on nostalgia. For decades, Indian households have arranged their routines around cricket matches. The image of families huddled before television sets — chai cups rattling, grandparents muttering prayers, children imitating shots in the cramped corridor — is imprinted in the national psyche. By invoking that memory, Sony makes the Asia Cup not just about live sport, but about reliving a tradition.
The timing of the TVC is astute. The Asia Cup kicks off on 9 September, with India–Pakistan ties expected to draw record ratings. This is also India’s first major tournament after the passage of the Online Gaming Bill 2025, which banned betting and fantasy sports with cash stakes but emphasised “safe online gaming” and esports as cultural exports. Sony’s film neatly dovetails with the government’s rhetoric: cricket as a unifying, wholesome national obsession rather than a site of division.
Advertising scholars will note how Asia Cup ka maha-muqabla breaks from older tropes. Previous India–Pakistan promos often thrived on antagonism: taunts, satire, chest-thumping. Sony, by contrast, softens the edges. The rivalry remains fierce — the six off Afridi is fantasy fulfilment — but the messaging is inward-looking. The focus is not beating Pakistan as much as celebrating India.
For a tournament where sport often becomes geopolitics, this is a nuanced turn. In less than a minute, the campaign positions cricket as faith, family, catharsis, and national glue.
That, in the end, is why the spot works. It is not simply flogging a match, or a tournament. It is selling the idea that India itself is best understood when a billion-plus citizens are praying for the same thing, shouting at the same screen, and rejoicing together when the ball sails into the stands.
Mumbai: In yet another triumphant victory, India cruised to a record 228-run win over rival Pakistan on Monday and collected crucial points in the super four stage of the Asia Cup. Having set a target of 357, India bowled out Pakistan for 128 runs, its third-lowest total against India.
The tournament which is being live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar, clocked a concurrency of 2.8 crore when India was batting, the highest for any India match in the history of digital. 25.3 million simultaneous viewers watched the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final match between India and New Zealand in 2019.
In a tweet, BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted the same.
Mumbai: As cricket fever grips the nation with only days to go to the Asia Cup followed by the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the second edition of Disney+ Hotstar’s Festive Shopping Sentiment Survey has found that shoppers this festive season are likely to increase their spending by 14 per cent over last year, driven by a 12 per cent increase in the size of their shopping baskets.
Coinciding with India’s biggest festive season, both Asia Cup and The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will provide marketers with the best opportunity to leverage the cricketing properties and influence the positive spending sentiment observed in the second edition of Disney+ Hotstar’s Festive Shopping Sentiment survey. Additionally, the platform has lifted its paywall for mobile and tablet only viewers for both the tournaments, thus democratizing the game for more than 540 million [Source – FICCI E&Y report] smartphone users across the country.
The free streaming of the two widely watched sporting events will enable a lucrative avenue for marketers to make a mark in consumers’ minds before the festive season. As per the Festive Shopping Sentiment survey, nine in ten consumers expressed a healthy appetite to spend for the upcoming season. With an average budget of Rs 17K, shoppers are predicted to boost their spending by 14 per cent compared to the previous year. This will be fueled by a 12 per cent rise in shopping basket size, with the most popular categories being clothes, mobile phones, and health and beauty. Festive bonanzas, such as brand and cashback incentives, discounts, and other promotions, can influence customer mindsets even more.
The survey also found that consumer spending is expected to be heavily influenced by online ads. It is prone to sway towards online shopping, with 60 per cent of consumers discovering brands and services through online platforms as they shop for themselves and for gifting purposes. Accompanying the online shopping sentiments of seven out of ten shoppers, digital payment options too recorded a 36 per cent preference, with UPI in the lead.
Disney Star head of network – Ad sales Ajit Varghese said, “With the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 being free-to-view to all mobile phone users, Disney+ Hotstar is poised to become the prime digital platform for marketers. This especially holds true for the Cricket World Cup, which returns home after a hiatus of 12 years, right before the peak festive season kicks in. Safe to say that all eyes are going to be on the action on the ground, making it a once-in-a-decade opportunity for brands looking to make the most out of the festive fervor amongst consumers.”
Disney+ Hotstar is set to revolutionise Live Cricket advertising during the upcoming Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with the launch of its self-serve platform. The platform is also offering over 75 targeting parameters (previously 35) that can be cross-tabbed to combine multiple parameters for granular reach and caters to all ticket sizes (from Rs two lacs to upto 50 lacs). Additionally, special rates have been introduced that are at par with leading UGC platforms. Starting at just Rs 49 (CPM) for non-India matches, and a special package for India-only matches at Rs 199 (CPM).
Mumbai: As the nation prepares to cheer team India in the upcoming Asia Cup, News18 India is all set to present extensive reportage to capture the thrill and enthusiasm of Asia’s biggest international cricket carnival. With ‘Jeetega Bhai Jeetega’, the channel is all set to extensively cover the Indian team’s journey in the Asia Cup on 28 August at 6 p.m, 9.15 p.m & 11.30 p.m.
Adding to the excitement of the much-awaited clashes between arch rivals India and Pakistan, News18 India will telecast special preview, mid-match, and review shows on India-Pakistan match days to analyze each aspect of the fiercely fought on-ground battles.
Along with exclusive interviews, the channel will also host engaging sessions with renowned former cricketers and experts such as Sandeep Patil, Kiran More and Nayan Mongia. They along with the channel’s editorial team will discuss in detail what should be India’s winning strategy and team combination for every match. The show will also dissect the key moments of the match once it is over in the review show.
To keep the viewers up-to-date on all the latest cricket happenings and electrifying atmosphere on-ground, News18 India’s team will be present on ground zero and will host special shows from there. With “Jeetega Bhai Jeetega”, News18 India will aim to further create excitement for the viewers.
MUMBAI: Sri Lankan cricketers will be donning a new name on their jerseys for the Asia Cup as FairPlay News becomes the official national sponsor for the team. FairPlay News is a sports news and updates platform and a fairly new entrant in the Fantasy Sport category.
“We are extremely happy to welcome Fairplay News as the official sponsors of the national team during the upcoming Asia Cup and hope that this partnership will augur well for the sports site,” said Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva.
FairPlay News director stated, “We are proud to be the Sri Lankan Cricket Team sponsors. This association has given Fairplay News the right opportunity to be able to stand true to our name and work which imbibes the virtues of sport.”
Dasun Shanaka and his 20-member squad will wear the jerseys with the name FairPlay News, a part of the FairPlay Sports. It is a multi-vertical group. The Asia Cup will be held from 27 August in the UAE.
The Asia Cup was originally scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka but shifted to the UAE due to political turmoil and the economic crisis in the nation. Sri Lanka has witnessed months of food and fuel shortages, blackouts and runaway inflation in the wake of its worst financial crisis on record. This association is extremely welcome for the cricketing body amidst this turmoil.
MUMBAI: As the entire world went into sleep mode in 2020 due to the Covid2019 pandemic, the marketing sector faced a drastic setback. According to a recent FICCI-EY report, 2020 was a watershed year for advertising spends, as the industry slowed down by 29 per cent, the highest one-year drop ever witnessed in the history of Indian advertising expenditure.
Traditional media faces setback, digital media stays intact
The Covid pandemic resulted in a drastic shift in the consumption pattern of customers, and being home-stuck with more time on their hands, many people started showing increased dependency on the internet before making any buying decisions. As a result, advertising in traditional media de-grew by 37 per cent in 2020. However, digital media remained flat, and was not badly affected by the new market trend.
Print media and radio, which were already on a downwards trajectory, continued to de-grow in 2020 as they lost some consumers due to reverse migration, cost-cutting, and changing habits. According to the FICCI-EY report, most of these lost consumers may eventually return as the market continues to grow, but some portion of the earlier consumer base will turn out to be a permanent loss.
Due to the decreased mobility of customers, OOH (out of home) and radio were also impacted. As people started maintaining strict social distancing measures, the experiential industry comprising events and cinemas too declined last year.
Marketers optimistic about 2021
Even though the industry faced an unprecedented setback in 2021, marketers believe that advertising will grow by 27 per cent in 2021, and it will regain its earlier level by 2023. 88 percent of marketers believe that consumer spends will increase in 2021, while 12 per cent claim that it will stay the same.
As consumer spends are expected to increase in 2021, marketers believe that ad spends will also witness a rise this year. According to the report, 66 per cent of marketers expect that their ad spends would increase in 2021. However, 10 per cent of the marketers suggest that ad spends will reduce by over 10 per cent in 2021.
There are several factors that play their crucial role in determining the increased ad spends, and it includes key sporting events that include the Indian Premier League, Asia Cup, ICC T20 World Cup, and Olympics. Apart from these big-ticket events, several upcoming launches in the automobile sector, elections, growth of OTT, and mobile gaming could also contribute to rising ad spends in 2021.
In the meantime, the Covid crisis has accelerated direct-to-customers (d2c) initiatives in 2020. Most marketers enabled e-commerce channels during the lockdown, and even began to spend money to promote the same. Marketers during the lockdown period also experimented with online events, apps, communities, and martech. 74 per cent of the marketers expect to spend over 20 per cent of their spends on digital media, a sharp rise from 45 per cent of marketers last year.
MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is contemplating a slew of options to ensure that IPL 2020 is not cancelled. One of the options is to have July as an alternate window.
According to a CNBC-TV18 report, a BCCI official, on the condition of anonymity, has said that the board is looking to host IPL matches possibly in July or latest during winter this year. The option to play closed-stadium tournament will be the last resort to make IPL 2020 happen, says the official.
Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, IPL has been suspended till 15 April, which was scheduled to begin from 29 March. This is the first time in its 11-year-long history that the domestic marquee event was cancelled due to the unprecedented havoc created by the pandemic.
The BCCI is not in favour of cancelling the domestic tournament this year as there are billions of dollars at stake. Estimates are that close to $1.5 billion is riding behind the IPL in terms of advertising, sponsorships and ticket sales.
The Indian government is also looking at extending the lockdown. The official also mentioned, “It will be difficult to have a full-fledged tournament under the current window till the beginning of June, if the lockdown is extended.”
Global advisors Duff & Phelps estimated a huge loss of at least Rs 1000 crore if IPL gets cancelled due to the pandemic.
The change in the schedule of the IPL may impact the cricket calendar of the year as important cricketing events that are slated for the year are Asia Cup 2020 and International Cricket Council T20 World Cup in August and October, respectively.
MUMBAI: Star has expressed displeasure on Virat Kohli’s absence from the Asia Cup and had asked Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to get in touch with the BCCI, according to a report by Press Trust of India.
Star, in an email to ACC game development manager Thusith Perera, stated how Kohli’s absence will impact the financial aspect of the coverage.
“In our view, the announcement of the absence of one of world’s best batsmen from the Asia Cup, only 15 days before the commencement of the Asia Cup, is a severe dent to us (event broadcaster) and will severely impact our ability to monetise and generate revenue for the tournament,” the email stated.
The broadcaster had asked ACC to get in touch with BCCI as it was clear that MRA (Media Rights Agreement) obligations required ACC to ensure best national teams are playing the tournament.
The BCCI, however, in a sharp reply to ACC has made it clear that neither it nor broadcasters have any say in national team selection matters.
However, BCCI made it clear that it is solely the parent body’s prerogative to choose the national team and no outside interference would be allowed.
“Please note that selection of best available team for participation in a tournament is sole prerogative of BCCI,” BCCI CEO Rahul Johri replied to Perera.
“It is not open for ACC or its broadcaster to insist on selection of any particular player and/or to question the expertise of any selection committee as to which is the best available team for particular tournament,” Johri further wrote.
Kohli, inarguably the biggest draw in world cricket, was rested after an 84-day tour of England where he emerged as top run-scorer with 593 runs in five Tests.
Star India acquired the global media rights for Asia Cup from 2016 to 2023 in December 2015.
Aaj Tak brings together legendary cricketers from Asia at the iconic Annual Cricket Conclave, Salaam Cricket in Dubai on 17th September. Cricketing legends Sunil Gavaskar, Mohd Azharuddin, Harbhajan Singh, Wasim Akram, Younis Khan, Misbah Ul Haq, Habibul Bashar, Muttiah Muralitharan, Abdul Qadir will get together at Hotel Address Boulevard, Dubai to enthrall the audience with unheard tales, electrifying insights and their un-paralleled view on the Asia Cup.
The iconic cricketers will share candid moments from the game, and their off-field camaraderie that represents their true sportsmanship.
As the nations gear up for Asia Cup, the spotlight returns on the legendary battle between India & Pakistan. It’s nothing short of a war, where the best men fight it out on the field for national honour & glory. The legendary cricketers share their view & sentiments on the game as the countries fight for glory.
The forum is open to all cricket fans, Priced @ AED 350. Salaam Cricket is scheduled to take place on 17th September’2018 at Hotel Address Boulevard, Dubai 2:00pm onwards.
For tickets, please log on to https;//dubai.platinumlist.net & more info call 050 7342004.
