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Tag: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

  • M S Dhoni to be a shareholder & brand ambassador for Garuda Aerospace

    M S Dhoni to be a shareholder & brand ambassador for Garuda Aerospace

    Mumbai: Chennai-based Drone startup Garuda Aerospace on Monday has appointed the former Indian men’s cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a shareholder in Garuda Aerospace. Dhoni is also the brand ambassador of the company, the company said in a statement.

    Equipped with 300 drones & 500 pilots operating in 26 cities, Garuda Aerospace drone manufacturing facilities were recently launched by honourable prime minister Narendra Modi.

    About his association with Garuda, MS Dhoni said, “I’m happy to be a part of Garuda Aerospace and look forward to witnessing their growth story with the unique drone solutions they have to offer.”

    Garuda Aerospace founder and CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash is ecstatic about the development, “I’ve always been an ardent admirer of Mahi Bhai & to have him as a part of the Garuda Aerospace family is honestly a dream come true,” said Agnishwar.

    He added, “Mahi Bhai is the epitome of dedication & I firmly believe that having captain cool on our cap table adds tremendous value which will motivate our team to perform better.”

    “Garuda Aerospace has been a pioneer in the Indian drone ecosystem & is firmly on the path to becoming India’s 1st ever drone unicorn start-up,” concluded Jayaprakash.

  • MS Dhoni dons the retro jersey look for Zed Black Agarbatti’s new TVC

    MS Dhoni dons the retro jersey look for Zed Black Agarbatti’s new TVC

    Mumbai: Incense sticks manufacturing brand Zed Black has launched its new campaign with brand ambassador M S Dhoni, where he is seen engaging with his audience and reminiscing his demeanor and motivating approach towards youth of the country.

    The campaign is part of the brand’s upcoming lineup of star-studded brand commercials which are aimed at targeting consumers across the nation and giving Zed Black the opportunity to engage the youth for the cause of Prarthna Hogi Sweekar. Along with the existing celebrity ambassador, Hrithik Roshan for Manthan Dhoop, Zed Black will continue to emphasise its hold on the Indian agarbatti sphere, it said in a media statement.

    Conceptualized by Oberoi IBC, the integrated campaign for Zed Black 3-in-1 Agarbatti aims to get India praying to the mantra #prarthnahogisweekar. “Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on 15 August last year and since then his popularity around the world has not diminished. The boy from Ranchi, who made his ODI debut in 2004, who changed the face of Indian cricket with his calm demeanor, sharp understanding of the game, and astute leadership qualities is still reigning the hearts of cricket fans as the pictures in the retro jersey are spreading like wildfire,” said the company.

    MDPH director and partner Ankit Agrawal said, “Zed Black Agarbatti stands as a reflection of its ‘go getter’ spirit, devotion, resilience, belief and prayers. MS Dhoni, who is a staunch believer of tranquil state of mind that helps in focused efforts and better results, complements well with our brand value. Zed Black 3-in-1, which is a market-leader, creates an atmosphere of purity, hope & positivity that helps maintain a balance. Zed Black is elated to give MS Dhoni’s fans a moment to cherish by unveiling the TVC with the retro jersey look exactly after one year since he announced his retirement from International cricket on 15th August.”

    Choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan has directed Indian cricketer M S Dhoni for this commercial. Dhoni also got a new ‘faux-hawk’ cut from celebrity hair stylist Aalim Hakim which became a topic of discussion on social media. Ace photographer Daboo Ratnani captured all of Dhoni’s looks for the TVC campaign.

    “It’s Zed Black’s journey of hope, success, prayers and innovation that drew me to the brand. To be the face of a brand that sends out a beautiful message like Prarthna Hogi Sweekar, giving people hope and strengthening their beliefs is what resonated with me. Their new campaign is inspiring and motivating,” said M.S Dhoni.

    “Zed Black, has gone beyond just the advertising jingle, with the latest extension of its flagship ‘Prarthna Hogi Sweekar’ campaign being commissioned into mini-shorts indicating the thought that prayers will be answered. The new campaign with M S Dhoni has a moral underpinning that reflects the importance of family praying together, workplace worship, community prayers, the simple love of imparting the habit of praying amongst kids and love for the country”, shared Anshul Agrawal, Director & Partner, MDPH.

    Speaking on the TV Campaign & roping in M S Dhoni, Ad film director & MD, Oberoi IBC India Anand Oberoi said, “I am hopeful that this association will ensure higher brand recall, and eventually create a larger following amongst the masses for Prarthna Hogi Sweekar”.

  • MS Dhoni invests in home interiors brand HomeLane

    MS Dhoni invests in home interiors brand HomeLane

    MUMBAI: Home interiors company, HomeLane has entered into a  three-year strategic partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni as an equity partner and brand ambassador. As part of the partnership, Dhoni will own equity in HomeLane. The cricketer, popularly known as ‘Captain Cool’, will be HomeLane’s first brand ambassador and the first celebrity to endorse an end-to-end home interiors brand.

    As the interiors brand expands into new markets and deepens its presence in its existing 16 cities, its strategic association with MS Dhoni will enable the company to create high decibel visibility and connect with its consumers. HomeLane plans to add 25 new Tier II and Tier III cities over the next two years and has earmarked Rs 100 crore in marketing spends to support this aggressive expansion.

    With the upcoming cricket and festive season, HomeLane and MS Dhoni are jointly working on a brand new campaign that will be released during the new IPL season.

    Commenting on the partnership, HomeLane founders Srikanth Iyer and Tanuj Choudhry said, “We are excited to partner with MSD. He is not just a sporting legend but also one of the most respected and recognised personalities in India. With the trust & credibility that he brings to the table, we believe that he is the perfect fit for our brand vision. HomeLane was built with the intent of making end-to-end home interiors easy and transparent for consumers anywhere in the country and this strategic partnership is a leap toward that goal.”

    VP – marketing, Rajeev G N added, “MS Dhoni’s personal brand resonates very well with HomeLane’s brand values of trust and transparency. He is a sporting giant, a patriot, a dedicated family man, yet very approachable; qualities that inspire across generations. Like HomeLane, he is also an expert at what he does. We are ecstatic to have him on board and look forward to building a strong digital-first brand over the next many years with him.”

    Commenting on the association, Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, “My home, like anyone else, is my comfort zone. A home is built with love and dreams and it’s where we create memories of a lifetime with our loved ones. I believe that HomeLane can help homeowners make their dream home a reality. HomeLane’s vision of making interiors easy and accessible for people across the country is what made me want to be a part of it. With the technology and the expertise that HomeLane brings I look forward to our association in making this vision a reality.”

  • Dream11’s Harsh Jain-speak on the fantasy games leap

    Dream11’s Harsh Jain-speak on the fantasy games leap

    NEW DELHI: Fantasy sports platform Dream11 hit the headlines in early August when its bid of Rs 220 crore for the title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 came out tops, beating back the offers from larger firms. And it polevaulted its founders Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth into the limelight once again.

    Set up by the duo in 2008, the Mumbai-based company has more than 80 million users and is the first gaming startup from India to attain unicorn status, an industry term for startups valued above Rs 6,500 crore ($1 billion).

    With an array of top-notch investment firms across the globe, including Kalaari Capital, Multiples Equity, Tencent Holdings and Steadview Capital Management, Dream11 is one of the most stable and thriving start-up ecosystems. Dream11 has expanded its offerings with Fancode, DreamX, Dream Sports Investments, Dream Sports Foundation, DreamSetGo, and DreamPay.  

    According to various media reports, the company spent Rs 785.08 crore on advertising and promotions during FY19, as against Rs 230.30 crore in FY18.

    Speaking at the Internet and Mobile Association of India’s (IAMAI’s) Marketing Conclave on 28 August, Jain explained why he chose to put Dream11’s hat in the IPL title sponsorship ring. "IPL will break all records this year as one billion people stuck at home due to pandemic will definitely watch the sporting event. Our successful associations with IPL in the past gave us courage too,” he said.

    With the Dream11 brand being hammered home all through the tournament, it’s quite likely that an additional few million might chose to download the app and get engaged with the fascinating opportunity to play the skill based matches. Of course, the app would further get embedded into young and old India’s minds.

    During his address, Jain highlighted the need to focus on product development more than on marketing. “I see a lot of products today which use marketing right from the start. I believe it is the wrong thing to do,” he pointed out. “First, you need to develop a product fit for the market and once it is achieved, you should then go for scaling it.”

    Jain explained that in 2008 when IPL was launched in India, it did so without any fantasy games. But today most sports in India cannot be imagined without a fantasy game element. Then there were the naysayers who dissuaded Jain, whose father Anand is a close associate of ace entrepreneur Mukesh Ambani, from foraying into the space when he returned to India after his education in the US.

    "All marketing pundits told us that fantasy games won’t bloom in India and it will be a complete failure, but we succeeded. It was during this time when Sheth (currently serving as a co-founder & COO) joined me in this journey," Harsh elaborated.  

    The initial three years were tough. The company suffered a cash crunch and other obstacles, but what kept them going was their digital agency, Red Digital, which managed social media accounts for  Discovery Networks, Reliance Foundation, and Mumbai Indians to name a few.  By 2012, the company had decided to go ahead with the freemium single match business.

     “Indian consumers don’t like to commit long term to certain products, they like instant gratification and high engagement.Since the time we have focused on organic reach, growth hacking, and targeted digital marketing . We focused on things like virality and getting users to invite their friends,” Jain shared.

    In 2014, the company reported a million registered users, which grew to 45 million in 2018. Last year, the company reported having more than a 80 million user base.

    Jain admitted, "From 2017 we started partnering with leagues and signed Harsha Bhogle as our first brand ambassador. In 2018, we roped in MS Dhoni and started TV advertising for the very first time, and launched the Dimaag Se Dhoni marketing campaign during the IPL 2018 ."  

    Like any other brand, Dream11 faced hurdles in its growth journey, and the biggest challenge was not being available on Google Play store, a hurdle they surmounted.

    “It has been a difficult journey to convince people to download our apps as an APK and answer questions about why we are not on play store. But if people find value, they will find it," Jain said.  

    According to the 2019 report published by the Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG) and KPMG, the number of fantasy sports operators saw 7x growth during 2016-2018, while the number of users grew by over 25x between June 2016 and February 2019.

    The report also pointed out that the overall revenue of fantasy sports in India saw a three-fold growth from Rs 920 crore in FY19 to Rs 2,470 crore in FY20. As per IFSG-KPMG report, Dream11 commands 90 per cent market share.

  • How brand Dhoni will fare post-retirement?

    How brand Dhoni will fare post-retirement?

    NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, announced his retirement from international cricket last week via an emotional video on Instagram.  

    As soon as the news broke out, social media was abuzz with his name trending on top, not only netizens but brands also paid tribute to the iconic cricketers in their style. 

    Brands bid farewell to MS Dhoni for making India proud

    The ‘Captain Cool’ has always been a darling of brands and been able to attract audiences. He has endorsed brands across all categories. These include soap, insurance, two-wheeler, engine oil, used cars, and others. However, his brand value has taken a slight dip in the last few years. The announcement of Dhoni’s retirement brings us to the next big question – What will be the impact on the equity of brand Dhoni? Will this be the end of an era, or brands will continue to invest in Dhoni? 

    As per reports, between January 2019 to November 2019, Dhoni associated with 44 brands. If going by this year trend from January to March, Virat Kohli regained the top spot, while Mahi bagged the second spot in the list.

    Several experts believe that his brand value might not be affected as he will continue to play IPL. The former captain also has plans to associate himself with the international leagues, which may increase the brand value, depending on the situation.

    Dhoni was excluded from the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’s) annual contract list for October 2019 to September 2020.

    Even though he retired from Test cricket in 2014, but it never impacted his brand value.

    Let us closely look at how brand Dhoni has fared in the advertising world. In 2010, he topped the chart for celebrity endorsements on television during the first six months. According to the Adex survey of TAM Media Research, during the January to June period of 2010, Dhoni endorsed 24 brands on TV. As per Forbes data, Dhoni made $26.5 million (about Rs 200 crore) in 2010, and only a small portion of that payout, about $3.5 million (about Rs 26.4 crore), came directly from Dhoni's on-field play.

    In 2016, his net worth was at $31 million, and brand endorsements comprised a large part of this value. His total annual earnings from brand endorsements were between Rs 120 crore to Rs 150 crore at that time. 

    In 2018, the Duff & Phelps’ Celebrity brand value ranking valued Dhoni at $26.9 million placing him at 12th spot in terms of celebrity brand value.

    According to the same report, Dhoni was at the 9th spot with a brand value of $41.2 million in 2019. In the same year, he managed to retain the 5th spot on the Forbes India celebrity 100 lists.

    TRA Research CEO N. Chandramouli feels that whenever a sportsperson retires, their brand equity does fall as they have a limited shelf-life, both on and off the field. “This will not be very different for MS Dhoni also, but he still has a successful IPL career, which will give him a continued presence on the sporting field. His endorsement value started seeing a dip about six months ago, but he will still command a strong value till his IPL days.”

    Dhoni, earlier reportedly used to charge between Rs 8 – 12 crore for each endorsement. However, now experts feel this may come down to Rs 3.5 – 4 crore. 

    Chandramouli states, “As his visibility reduces on the field, with lesser engagements, a brand will calculate the ROI of his field presence, and associate if the ROI is justified. It is a cut-throat business and a difficult market. The endorsement value of a player is correlated to his success and presence.”

    There will be brands that would want to associate with the cricketer because of the trust he has built on and off the field, and this will pay off with more extended brand associations. 

    According to a report by ESP Properties, sports sponsorship in India grew a healthy 17 percent to Rs 9,000 crore in 2019. As per the last year's report, there were 70 new brand endorsement deals, of which cricketers clinched 50 deals. Dhoni pulled 63 per cent of the total brand endorsements. 

    On the other hand, Samsika Marketing Consultants chairman and managing director Jagdeep Kapoor has a distinct view as he believes Dhoni as a brand goes beyond cricket. His core values reflect life. “He is a unique brand property. The attributes, the passion, the zest for life are traits that good brands would like to associate with,” adds Kapoor.

    However, the audiences will miss the long-haired cricketer on the ground who can hit helicopter sixes and entertain them.

  • Brands bid farewell to MS Dhoni for making India proud

    Brands bid farewell to MS Dhoni for making India proud

    NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, bid adieu to international cricket on 15 August. He made the declaration through his Instagram post where he wrote, “Thanks. Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. From 19.29 hrs consider me as Retired.”

    Popularly known as captain cool and also one of the most successful cricket captains of India, he has led the team in many astonishing victories. Under his regime, India won three ICC trophies including the 2011 cricket world cup.

    The unexpected announcement left many people shocked and netizens poured in their tributes for Dhoni and saluted the legendary cricketer. In just a few hours, social media was abuzz with his name and #DhoniRetires was trending on top.

    The style of retirement was also very unique from the cricketer. Dhoni posted a video which highlighted some of the best moment he has experienced in his lifetime during the course of the game. It also featured other Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul David and Virat Kohli.

    Dhoni was not only the world’s highest-paid cricketer but a popular choice in the advertising world as well. Over the years, he has worked with an array of brands. In his astonishing career, he worked with multiple brands like Cars24, Mastercard, Netmeds, Dreams11, redBus, Snickers, Indigo Paints and many more. With Pepsi, MS Dhoni had the longest association of 11 years; it started in 2005 and campaigns like ‘Oh yes Abhi’ and ‘Change the game’ garnered a lot of attention.

    Recently, he was featured in CARS24 360 degree marketing campaign, “Car bechni ho, toh CARS24” where Dhoni played dual characters of a seller and buyer.

    ITC Ltd also released a film for Sunfeast Yipee when the brand expanded into the new category of pasta products. The TVC showcases him tasting six delicious pasta variants, offering the convenience of instant preparation.

    The former captain had done many back to back TVC campaigns with Dream 11 and Snickers, with a new avatar each time.

    According to the Duff & Phelps Celebrity Brand Valuation study 2019, while Virat Kohli retained his position as the biggest celebrity brand in India for the third successive year, Dhoni was ranked at number nine.

    As per Forbes, in 2016, Dhoni’s net worth was around $31 million and brand endorsements comprised a large part of this value.

    According to the Adex survey of TAM Media Research, during the January to June period of 2010, while Dhoni, at his peak, endorsed brands for 24 companies on TV, Shah Rukh Khan and Tendulkar were seen promoting the products of 16 and 15 companies, respectively.

    During the period, ‘captain cool’ appeared for a host of brands, including Reebok, Aircel, Godrej, and TVS. In July 2010, he had signed a Rs 210 crore deal with Rhiti Sports Management and Mindscapes which till date is considered as one of the highest-paid deals.

    Brands from across verticals joined the bandwagon and poured good wishes for the cricketer, and launched creatives on social media. Amul rolled out a heartwarming video, a montage of his achievement in his 16 years long international career.

    Brands like Parle-G, Zomato, KFC, Google, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, IndiGo and many other brands paid tribute to the legendary cricketer.

  • Indian Terrain launches ‘The Spirit of Man’ campaign with Brand Ambassador Mahendra Singh Dhoni

    Indian Terrain launches ‘The Spirit of Man’ campaign with Brand Ambassador Mahendra Singh Dhoni

    MUMBAI: India’s leading menswear brand, Indian Terrain is all set to mark its 20th anniversary with Brand Ambassador Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the launch of its latest campaign, ‘The Spirit of Man’. The campaign balances style with substance to recognize the lives and aspirations of the brand’s audience. Further, to set the pace for a new decade in its journey, the campaign showcases the legend himself, Mahendra Singh Dhoni highlighting the brand’s latest Autumn-Winter ’19 collection.

    Nations are built on the shoulders of mankind. They may not realise it, but every person in the country, just by living their daily lives and chasing their personal ambitions, unwittingly contributes to the growth of a nation. The campaign highlights this insight and celebrates every individual who contributes, in their own way, to build the Indian dream. Targeted towards the youth & millennials, the campaign encourages its young audience to pursue their dreams.

    Speaking on the campaign, Mr. Venkatesh Rajagopal – Executive Chairman, Indian Terrain Fashions Limited commented, “The Spirit of Man is defined by relentless passion, strive for perfection & a pursuit of excellence. Our campaign is inspired from this thought and an insight, that a bigger picture is painted by a million smaller aspirations. Through the campaign, we celebrate the lives of every single man in the country, as they contribute in their own way towards building the Spirit of the Nation.”

    Indian Terrain is targeted towards the young millennial consumer who straddles between work and play effortlessly in cool yet comfortable clothing.

    Mr. Charath Narsimhan – Managing Director & CEO, Indian Terrain Fashions Limited said, “Our customers are people who embody the true Spirit of Man, growing their own lives and the world around them. We wanted to validate this optimism in a meaningful way through this campaign. MS Dhoni is the perfect fit for us as a brand that champions a strong value system and connect with young Indians.”

    The cinematic & inspiring TVC for the campaign has been conceptualized by Indian Terrain’s advertising agency Brave New World, directed by Manoj Pillai along with the production House, Think Pot. It portrays the faces and lives of a cross section of men from the country acknowledging their contribution towards building the nation.

    Mr. Joono Simon – Founder and CCO, Brave New World Agency said, “Brands often speak to their audiences from ivory towers, especially so in the fashion category. This was an opportunity for Indian Terrain to leverage the approachable emotional equity that MS Dhoni has among legions of fans. It was our goal to create a narrative of personal relevance and worth for viewers, with the people’s captain as the perfect example of what an individual can accomplish. Not through swagger, but belief, everyday action and sheer will. Every aspect of the film, from music, casting, choice of words and imagery, was a deliberate choice to connect the brand and those who will feel empowered by it.”

    ‘The Spirit of Man’ campaign is being rolled out across a 360 degree media campaign including Print, TV, Cinema & multiple Social & Digital platforms.

  • Hotstar Specials: ‘Roar of the Lion’ trailer promises to be an ultimate comeback story

    Hotstar Specials: ‘Roar of the Lion’ trailer promises to be an ultimate comeback story

    MUMBAI: Hotstar Specials is delighted to present its first show “Roar of the Lion”, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni who speaks about the darkest phase of his career, when he was accused of the worst crime in cricket and Chennai lost its beloved team.

    The teaser left us wanting to know more about Dhoni’s ‘Zidd’ while the trailer sheds light on the emotions that played a big part in making Captain Cool what he is today.  Demonstrating a side of him not commonly seen, the trailer includes the soon to be iconic line uttered by M.S. Dhoni: “The biggest crime I can commit is not murder, its actually match fixing.”

    Roar of the Lion’ is a story of how a bunch of men in yellow jerseys wrote one of India’s greatest comeback stories under the leadership of M.S.Dhoni. The series follows the human emotions of not only the members of Team CSK, but also of their beloved fans, during the days that led to the CSK ban and the 2 years that followed. 

    Shot across multiple locations including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Australia, this is a finite story of 6 episodes of 30 minutes each.  Shot across locations in India from Chepauk Stadium in Chennai to Dhoni’s hometown of Ranchi, the story weaves in a narrative never seen before for been created by master storyteller Kabir Khan, making his debut in the digital space, written by Kausar Munir, and is a co-production between Dhoni Entertainment Pvt Ltd and Banijay Asia.

    While the trailer leaves a lot to be seen it brings to the screen some of the voices who have for the first time shared their opinion about the ban including the CSK management, the people behind CSK.

    Hotstar Specials presents “Roar of the Lion” will be streaming from 20th March onwards with all the episodes available for fans to watch.

    Hotstar Specials, the new label launched by India’s biggest OTT player – Hotstar- will bring big, bold, authentic stories created by some of the biggest storytellers. Featuring some of the most unconventional stories, every show on Hotstar Specials will be available to crores of consumers across India in 7 languages i.e. Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

  • MS Dhoni becomes the face of BharatMatrimony

    MS Dhoni becomes the face of BharatMatrimony

    MUMBAI: Online matrimony brand BharatMatrimony, has roped in iconic Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador.

    Talking about the association, MS Dhoni said, “I’m happy to be associated with the iconic internet brand BharatMatrimony. It is the most trusted and successful matrimony brand which has helped millions of Indians find a life partner over the last 18 years. I’m proud to be associated with a trusted brand that has created millions of happy marriages. This is a definitely a good partnership.”

    matrimony.com CEO Murugavel Janakiraman adds, “We’re proud to be associated with MS Dhoni, an iconic sportsperson. We feel it’s a good fit because he’s an inspiration for millions of youth because of what he’s achieved for the country through his admirable leadership qualities. Dhoni also inspires through his happy marriage, his caring dad and loving husband image.”

    Commenting on the association, Rhiti Sports, which exclusively manages MS Dhoni’s commercial endorsements, chairman Arun Pandey mentioned, “One of the key elements of the wedding industry is the trust of the consumers and we are happy with the way BharatMatrimony has gained it. I am confident this partnership with MS Dhoni will do well in the days to come.”

    BharatMatrimony will soon launch a 360 degree marketing campaign featuring ads to target single people of marriageable age across TV, print, radio and outdoor.

    Matrimony.com is India’s first pure play consumer internet company to be publicly listed. It is a signature consumer internet conglomerate, managing marquee brands such as BharatMatrimony, CommunityMatrimony and EliteMatrimony. BharatMatrimony is the largest and most trusted matrimony brand which has also established a considerable retail presence with over 140 self-owned retail outlets across India.

    The company delivers matchmaking and marriage related services to users in India and the Indian diaspora worldwide.The company has pioneered several new business models such as MatrimonyPhotography, MatrimonyBazaar, MatrimonyMandaps, and CommunityMatrimony, a consortium of over 300 community matrimony websites.

  • Dream11 urges users to #KheloDimaagSe in new rap-led campaign

    Dream11 urges users to #KheloDimaagSe in new rap-led campaign

    MUMBAI: Dream11, India’s biggest fantasy sports platform, has launched #KheloDimaagSe, its newest integrated with its brand ambassador and Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

    The new campaign gives all passionate Indian cricket fans the opportunity to engage deeply with the sport. The brand believes that all Dream11 users aspire to employ the same kind of thinking prowess that has made Dhoni the master of the game.

    Dream11 first introduced this positioning through #DimaagSeDhoni, its maiden campaign that helped build the fantasy sports category in India. It established Dream11 as a game of thrill, skill and sporting pride, in addition to growing the brand’s user base by three times. Through #KheloDimaagSe, Dream11 wants to reach a larger audience base and target adoption at an unprecedented scale.

    The campaign has been conceptualised and created by Leo Burnett Orchard.

    Speaking about the new campaign, Vikrant Mudaliar, chief marketing officer, Dream11 said, “In a cricket-dominated country like India, every cricket fan is an expert. With the new #KheloDimaagSe campaign, Dream11 provides users with a unique opportunity to use their sports knowledge, expertise and skill much like the players on the field. With fantasy gaming fast capturing the imagination of the country, Dream11 is a perfect foil for sports fans who love their game and further enhance their love through our platform.”

    Leo Burnett Orchard was tasked with creating a campaign that would appeal to more people across India, beyond just the core cricket fan-base. Its vision was identical to Dream11’s – to make Dream11 India’s biggest fantasy sports game.

    People get excited by and partake in everything that is adopted by a large number of people. Playing on this insight, Leo Burnett Orchard decided to project Dream11 as a mass phenomenon and not something that is isolated or individualistic.

    Speaking about the campaign, Leo Burnett Orchard Executive creative director Amod Dani says, “Dream11 is a game that needs a coherent understanding of cricket and its statistics. While the ‘Dimaag se Dhoni’ campaign made an immediate impact for the brand, making it one of the most sought after games in India, the core objective of ‘Khelo Dimaag Se’ is to make the platform far more social and inclusive. The motormouth, rap approach brings alive exactly what the users are thinking while Dhoni plays a central role in walking us through this musical.”