ITV

Tag: Bhaskar Thakur

  • Kshema swings for six with Punjab Kings in quirky insurance ad blitz

    Kshema swings for six with Punjab Kings in quirky insurance ad blitz

    MUMBAI: Cricket meets crop cover in Kshema General Insurance’s latest innings—and it’s anything but a straight bat. In a punchy new campaign titled Shreyas Ki Yojana, the insurer teams up with IPL side Punjab Kings to bowl over Indian audiences with insurance awareness, laced with locker-room banter and rural relevance.

    Unveiled ahead of the 2025 IPL season, the ad stars captain Shreyas Iyer, pace ace Arshdeep Singh and the flamboyant Shashank Singh. The three trade sledges over Shreyas’ dream of becoming a farmer, only to land on a surprisingly sound game plan: crop insurance. The film delivers its message with the finesse of a cover drive and the timing of a match-winning six.

    The ad opens in the PBKS locker room, where Iyer flips through an agriculture magazine and casually declares his post-retirement plans. Cue a cheeky back-and-forth with Arshdeep and Shashank, poking fun at the unpredictability of farming—until Iyer whips out his phone and drops the mic (and the app): Kshema General Insurance.

    “Sirf Beeman Nahi, Kshema”, he declares, in what’s already being called the campaign’s new catchphrase. A split-screen follows, showing the cricketers on one side and Kshema’s offerings on the other: expansive crop coverage, affordable premiums, smooth claims, and service that doesn’t ghost you mid-season.

    “We believe awareness and preparation are the keys to protection, irrespective of the field. Cricket, with its following in India, is one the most effective vehicles to take this message across the country which is why we chose to leverage our partner Punjab Kings’ strong connection with its roots to aid our outreach. I hope the star-power of Shreyas, Arshdeep, and Shashank will act as a catalyst in increasing awareness about insurance and its effectiveness in mitigating economic hardships,” said Kshema General Insurance Limited CMO Bhaskar Thakur.

    The campaign, conceptualised by Dentsu Creative Webchutney and produced by Shaded Feathers, is helmed by director Dhruv Grover and will run throughout the IPL season on digital platforms and traditional media. It’s part of a broader blitz aimed at making insurance less about jargon and more about impact.

    To sweeten the deal, Kshema also rolled out its ‘Kshema Secure Hands’ contest. Fans who guess the PBKS player crowned ‘Secure Hands of the Match’ stand a chance to win match tickets and exclusive merch. Insurance has never looked this fun—or this interactive.

  • Kshema unveils ‘Secure Hands’ contest for IPL 2025 Punjab Kings fans

    Kshema unveils ‘Secure Hands’ contest for IPL 2025 Punjab Kings fans

    MUMBAI: Kshema General Insurance Ltd., the official general insurance partner of Punjab Kings, has launched the ‘Kshema Secure Hands’ digital campaign, offering cricket fans a chance to win match tickets and exclusive merchandise.

    The contest, open to participants aged 18 and above, will run across Kshema’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X. Fans must predict which Punjab Kings player will be crowned the ‘Kshema Secure Hands’ of the match, recognising the best fielding effort be it a catch, run saved, run-out, or stumping. Punjab Kings will shortlist the standout moments, and those who predict correctly will enter a lucky draw, where a jury will select the winner.

    “We are excited to launch the ‘Kshema Secure Hands’ campaign as part of our partnership with Punjab Kings. We have planned this nationwide contest to drive home our message that insurance means security just like good fielding provides a safety net to the team during matches which can be the difference between a victory and defeat. Cricket is the beating heart of India, and we couldn’t have found a better vehicle to connect emotionally with fans and create awareness about insurance and its importance in mitigating adverse financial situations,” said Kshema General Insurance Ltd. chief marketing officer Bhaskar Thakur.

    The initiative not only strengthens Kshema’s association with cricket but also raises awareness about its innovative insurance solutions. The company leverages AI-driven algorithms, machine learning, and big data to assess and price insurance risks efficiently.

    “We always strive to give our fans an experience they will cherish. I am happy that Kshema has launched this campaign and has kept the fans at the centre of our partnership. We look forward to fans from all over the country participating and having a great matchday experience,” said Punjab Kings chief executive officer Satish Menon.

    Punjab Kings, featuring a fresh squad under captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against Gujarat Titans on 25 March in an evening match. 

  • Kshema General Insurance launches campaign to raise awareness about crop insurance

    Kshema General Insurance launches campaign to raise awareness about crop insurance

    Mumbai: Kshema General Insurance Ltd has announced the launch of its national marketing campaign aimed at raising awareness about crop insurance to coincide with the beginning of the Kharif season. The centrepiece of the 360-degree campaign is a TVC which will reach farmers as they start sowing with the onset of the monsoons. The TV campaign will be further augmented by a concurrent campaign in print, digital, and outdoor media. The campaign highlights the importance of crop insurance in creating a financial safety net for farmers when extreme climate events are becoming more frequent and intense.

    The 30-second TVC was developed in-house to forge a deeper connection with farmers, and easy accessibility of Kshema’s industry-first crop insurance plan Sukriti along with Prakriti. The product is available on Kshema’s proprietary platform which can be downloaded from Google Playstore. Any farmer or family member with insurable income can buy this customisable crop insurance starting from Rs 499 per acre and protect more than 100 crops from a combination of one major and one minor peril. All they need to do is download the app, register, geo-tag their farm and pay the premium.

    Commenting on the launch of the TVC, Kshema General Insurance Ltd CMO Bhaskar Thakur said, “I am pleased that we relied on the incredibly powerful imagery of a father-daughter relationship to create awareness about mitigating crop loss and resulting income shock with the help of crop insurance. We chose the emotional depth of the conversation between a father and daughter to convey the importance of protecting farmers from income shocks and building financial resilience. Children can ask the most poignant questions with the utmost simplicity which forces an adult to think. We chose to capture that moment of innocence to carry our message of buying crop insurance to mitigate financial losses caused by perils.”

    The film opens with a farmer working in his field who then takes a break to have lunch with his daughter. She innocently asks her father why he needs to work hard. He lovingly explains he works hard so that everyone has food on their table, and they don’t face any trouble. The daughter exclaims proudly he is there to ensure no one is in trouble but asks with concern who will look after him if he faces any adverse situation. The camera pans to the farmer who now looks worried and then cuts to the visual of Kshema app with the narrator explaining that any farmer can buy Sukriti easily via the app.

    Kshema’s media partner Mudramax is spearheading the campaign and the TVC will be aired on news, music, movies, and general entertainment channels in the country. “We are thrilled to partner with Kshema General Insurance Limited on this groundbreaking integrated multi-media marketing campaign,” said Mudramax president – integrated media Rammohan Sundaram. “By leveraging a strategic mix of TV, Print, and Digital broadcast properties, including a carefully curated set of influencers, we aim to create a cohesive and immersive brand experience that resonates with the target audiences across all touchpoints. This campaign exemplifies the innovative and collaborative spirit of both our teams, and we are confident it will drive significant engagement and impact”.

    The new commercial will also be bolstered by an intensive digital campaign to drive awareness around the critical role played by crop insurance in mitigating risks caused by natural perils.

    The agricultural and allied sectors engage the largest share of the workforce, constituting 45.5 per cent as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey of 2021-22, and contribute nearly 15 per cent to India’s GDP. However, natural catastrophic events are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change affecting the farming community disproportionately. These natural perils cause not only loss of crop but also livelihoods in the worst cases as 85 per cent of farmers have modest annual incomes.

    Kshema endeavours to support the farming community through these trying times by providing them tailor-made insurance products after adequately mapping and analysing the risk involved.

  • Thakur JWT Malaysia’s new planning head

    Thakur JWT Malaysia’s new planning head

    MUMBAI: Bhaskar Thakur, who left J. Walter Thomson (JWT) to join OYO Rooms as head of brand strategy, has returned to JWT Malaysia as the head of strategic planning. He will lead the strategic planning for brands such as Nestle and Shell.

    JWT Malaysia recently appointed Saurabh Saksena as the managing director.

    Thakur has over 13 years of experience in creating categories, building brands and growing business across FMCG, financial services and technology brands along with leading brand marketing.

    Thakur had joined OYO Rooms in October 2015. Earlier, he was the AVP and strategic planning director for JWT in Gurgaon. He had handled strategy for PepsiCo – Slice, Tropicana, Mountain Dew & Gatorage, Nestle, Kitkat, Munch, Milkybar, Alpino, and GSK. He has also worked in the strategic departments of Euro RSCG, Ogilvy & Mather and Publicis.

  • Thakur JWT Malaysia’s new planning head

    Thakur JWT Malaysia’s new planning head

    MUMBAI: Bhaskar Thakur, who left J. Walter Thomson (JWT) to join OYO Rooms as head of brand strategy, has returned to JWT Malaysia as the head of strategic planning. He will lead the strategic planning for brands such as Nestle and Shell.

    JWT Malaysia recently appointed Saurabh Saksena as the managing director.

    Thakur has over 13 years of experience in creating categories, building brands and growing business across FMCG, financial services and technology brands along with leading brand marketing.

    Thakur had joined OYO Rooms in October 2015. Earlier, he was the AVP and strategic planning director for JWT in Gurgaon. He had handled strategy for PepsiCo – Slice, Tropicana, Mountain Dew & Gatorage, Nestle, Kitkat, Munch, Milkybar, Alpino, and GSK. He has also worked in the strategic departments of Euro RSCG, Ogilvy & Mather and Publicis.