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Tag: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

  • Indigo paints signs MS Dhoni as ambassador

    Indigo paints signs MS Dhoni as ambassador

    MUMBAI: Decorative paint manufacturers, Indigo Paints, has signed MS Dhoni as brand ambassador.

    The company has inked a deal with MSD for the next several years and plans to launch the advertising campaign on television, print and digital by August.

    Cricketer and brand ambassador MS Dhoni says, “Very happy to be associated with a young and vibrant brand like Indigo Paints, which is emerging as a challenger to the established players. Reminds me of my early days, and would be glad to help the brand reach great heights.”

    Indigo Paints MD Hemant Jalan adds, “Dhoni’s journey from a small town boy to a global icon is inspiring. Indigo’s journey is also similar to that of MSD. Hence we feel that MSD’s persona is an excellent fit for our brand. His appointment has been received with unprecedented enthusiasm within our sales team and the paint dealer community. We are confident of creating clutter-breaking ads using MSD, and getting a similar reaction from  the end-consumers too.”

    Indigo Paints has been in business since 2000 and has emphasised on launching new paint concepts for the consumer and invented paint categories which never existed before like Floor paints, Ceiling paints, PU Enamel, etc. This differentiation has helped Indigo Paints clock a CAGR of over 40 per cent over the last 10 years.

     

  • Mirza and the art of brand endorsement

    Mirza and the art of brand endorsement

    MUMBAI: There was a time when she was the darling of the nation’s advertisers and of course ad agencies. The creative directors and TVC makers hoicked Indian tennis great Sania Mirza into as many commercials as they could and made her face for Cadbury Bornvita, TVS Scooty, Sprite, Volini, Air India, Tata Tea, Hathway Cable, Emami, Adidas among other popular brands. Sania started her professional tennis career while she was only a teenager; she was young, peppy, strong, popular and opinionated – qualities every brand looks for in their ideal brand ambassador.

    Then came her marriage to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik coupled with a dip in her form due to inconsistent performances and injuries. And a wave of negative publicity that followed. Cadbury or Mondelez was among the first to not abstain from renewing her endorsement contract. Slowly, other brands followed, and she was even labeled as an “outsider” by the less charitable ones.

    But all that is in the past. Six years later Sania seems to be getting back in the endorsement game. She recently became the face of One Plus India and Centuary Mattresses.

    Her relationship with brands  has always been a difficult one with on and off deals. Yet, Sania isn’t disappointed about it and rather advocates, “I’m not playing tennis to become a brand ambassador for brands, but I’m playing tennis to win matches for the country. Sure, endorsements help in increasing the bank balance, but that’s not the prime focus.”

    Sania is part of a new bunch of sportsmen – cricketers, badminton players, tennis stars and boxing champions – who are in the top league of brand endorsers, according to report Sporting Nation in the Making, that examines sports sponsorships in India. Leading the pack is Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli who is miles ahead of even big Bollywood stars with deals going over 12 brands today, and an endorsement value of over Rs 200 crore. Kohli is believed to charge Rs 2 crore a day from brands, higher than what Mahendra Singh Dhoni did at his peak.

    Badminton player PV Sindhu has become a recent favourite among marketers. Sindhu’s current endorsement fee is Rs 1-1.25 crore a day, a rise from Rs 15-25 lakh her managers got her before she became the first Indian woman athlete to win an Olympic Silver in 2016. Sindhu, according to the report, has the highest endorsement value among non-cricketers in India. The badminton star endorses 11 brands with a valuation of Rs 30 crore.

    The report also highlights that cricketers in India endorse over 90 brands while all non-cricketing athletes in India combined have only 78 brand endorsements.

    Sania is not much swayed by this celebrity and sports endorsement see-saw, which sees the brand fortunes of sportsman rise and fall according to their performances. She agrees that the brand endorsement business has helped some sportsmen, though not all. She, however, says she was fortunate to get a good deal when she was at her peak. Says she: “I had the fortune to grow up with sports marketing and sports journalism when media was just picking up. Social media has become really big today, especially in the last few years.”

    She does believe that creatives in Indian advertising industry have become more imaginative about the use of sports celebs in TV commercials from 15-20 years ago. Says she in jest: “The way I was asked to pose with a tennis racket has changed drastically from then to now and it’s as simple as that. Brands today expect more realistic things and they understand that I am not an actress so I cannot act.”

    Women athletes get slimmer cheques than their male counterparts and that is something that riles her. Says Sania: “I’ve been endorsing ever since I was 16 years old and I was one of the few people who started endorsing that young. I grew up with the media boom and, hence, could demand that price. But today I have heard PV Sindhu demands a great price, but then if you say that she should demand the same amount as Virat Kohli, that’s not going to happen because Virat is the biggest sportsperson we have in the country and we still have a long way to go for equal pay.”

    A strong opinionated woman that she is, Mirza has always been a vocal supporter of equal rights for every gender. Mirza believes a lot has been said about women’s rights but true empowerment comes from within and women have to believe that they deserve equal rights and respect as men.

    She also believes that new athletes who see their star on their ascendant should not make a dash to sign up for every brand that knocks at their doors. “It is important to just be yourself and connect with the brand that you want to endorse at some level. Don’t be in it just for the money,” she advises.

    Would Jerry Maguire approve?

    Also Read :

    Aamir Khan becomes Vivo Pakistan’s official brand ambassador

    Kohli brand driving on the up

    Ideation to execution is shorter today: Forsman & Bodenfors’ Akesson

    Centuary Mattresses gets Sania Mirza as brand ambassador 

  • Womens’s World Cup final draws record viewers on Hotstar

    MUMBAI: Cricket continues to rule in India. Even if you don’t have the likes of Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma on the field or screen.

    The team at the 21st Century Fox owned Hotstar were more than happy to discover the upscaling in viewership that even women’s cricket has been getting.

    The recently concluded ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 final featuring India and England has notched up new records, if a press release from Hotstar is to be believed. The Indian cricketing eves lost by a slender margin; England’s ladies kept their nerves to pick up their trophy.

    Hotstar says India’s second-ever entry into a Women’s World Cup final had a peak concurrency of 1.9 million simultaneous viewers. And this happened in the tragic forty eighth over with India needing 11 runs to win off 12 balls.

    The release syas that “this was higher than the average concurrency of many of the marquee men’s cricket tournaments on Hotstar in the last year, a feat in its own right and an inflection point in women’s sports. While Vivo IPL 2017 saw a predictable list of state-wise tune-ins, consistent with team loyalties, the Women’s World Cup saw a surprise entrant in UP, which along with Maharashtra, contributed to 25 per cent of total viewership.”

  • LAVA launches its new brand campaign with Mahendra Singh Dhoni

    LAVA launches its new brand campaign with Mahendra Singh Dhoni

    MUMBAI:  Lava International Limited, one of the leading players in the Indian mobile handset industry, launched its latest multi-channel marketing campaign featuring its brand ambassador and India’s most successful national ODI cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. With this campaign, Lava aims to strengthen its brand identity as the most trusted and reliable mobile handset brand in the mobile handset industry. The integrated 12-week long, 360 degree marketing campaign comprises three different television commercials along with out-of-home, retail and digital marketing initiatives.

    Thrilled with the launch of Lava’s new brand campaign, Lava International Limited  vice president  & head – Marketing & Communications Solomon Wheeler said, “We are very excited to launch this campaign with Mahendra Singh Dhoni on board as our brand ambassador. We, at Lava, believe that to build a truly endearing brand one cannot rely on just tactical differentiators; it has to be based on core values which in our case are – Integrity, passion for excellence and adaptability. Put together these values create a culture that ensures we deliver reliable products and services to our customers every time. Also, various industry reports bear testimony to our excellent product quality and after sales service which are unmatched amongst Indian mobile handset brands.”

    Lava recently brought on board Soho Square, part of the WPP group, to take on Lava’s creative mandate. This is their first campaign for the brand.

    On conceptualizing the campaign for Lava, Soho Square  SVP & head of Advertising  Dip Sengupta said, “The story of Lava is the story of reliability. It is something that is hardwired in the DNA of the organization and the great products that come out of its R&D facilities and manufacturing centers. When we delved deep into the products, we realized that the rigour and the drive for excellence that goes into each Lava phone was a story waiting to be told. The campaign with MS  Dhoni was therefore a natural next step. We wanted the code of reliability to come across in an endearing manner and MS Dhoni’s interactions with the Lava representative does that effortlessly.”

  • LAVA launches its new brand campaign with Mahendra Singh Dhoni

    LAVA launches its new brand campaign with Mahendra Singh Dhoni

    MUMBAI:  Lava International Limited, one of the leading players in the Indian mobile handset industry, launched its latest multi-channel marketing campaign featuring its brand ambassador and India’s most successful national ODI cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. With this campaign, Lava aims to strengthen its brand identity as the most trusted and reliable mobile handset brand in the mobile handset industry. The integrated 12-week long, 360 degree marketing campaign comprises three different television commercials along with out-of-home, retail and digital marketing initiatives.

    Thrilled with the launch of Lava’s new brand campaign, Lava International Limited  vice president  & head – Marketing & Communications Solomon Wheeler said, “We are very excited to launch this campaign with Mahendra Singh Dhoni on board as our brand ambassador. We, at Lava, believe that to build a truly endearing brand one cannot rely on just tactical differentiators; it has to be based on core values which in our case are – Integrity, passion for excellence and adaptability. Put together these values create a culture that ensures we deliver reliable products and services to our customers every time. Also, various industry reports bear testimony to our excellent product quality and after sales service which are unmatched amongst Indian mobile handset brands.”

    Lava recently brought on board Soho Square, part of the WPP group, to take on Lava’s creative mandate. This is their first campaign for the brand.

    On conceptualizing the campaign for Lava, Soho Square  SVP & head of Advertising  Dip Sengupta said, “The story of Lava is the story of reliability. It is something that is hardwired in the DNA of the organization and the great products that come out of its R&D facilities and manufacturing centers. When we delved deep into the products, we realized that the rigour and the drive for excellence that goes into each Lava phone was a story waiting to be told. The campaign with MS  Dhoni was therefore a natural next step. We wanted the code of reliability to come across in an endearing manner and MS Dhoni’s interactions with the Lava representative does that effortlessly.”

  • Revital H replaces Salman Khan with MS Dhoni as brand ambassador

    Revital H replaces Salman Khan with MS Dhoni as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Revital H has unveiled a new campaign featuring youth heartthrob and captain of the Indian cricket team Mahendra Singh Dhoni. MS Dhoni replaces the Kick hitmaker Salman Khan.

    The integrated campaign, created by Lowe Lintas Delhi rests on the powerful and intrinsically Indian insight that often success is attributed to luck, thereby diluting all the effort that goes behind the achievement. The campaign vividly attempts to correct this misconception and pave a way for the brand as a partner of success while embodying hard work and mental alertness. With that intention, the most successful Indian cricket captain, MS Dhoni was roped in as Revital H’s brand ambassador.

    Commenting on the new campaign, Lowe Lintas Delhi  president Naveen Gaur said, “The challenge for the agency was to take a really popular leader brand like Revital H to the next level of growth by creating a highly persuasive campaign. In its attempt to become a fast-evolving, achiever society there is a huge stress that’s laid on professional and personal success among individuals. The campaign attempts to position Revital H as a partner of success.”

    Sharing his thoughts on the campaign approach, Lowe Lintas  CCO  Arun Iyer said, “The campaign stems from the interesting insight that many times the success achieved by others is ascribed to their luck and all the effort that goes behind gets diluted. We took a leap on this insight and created communication that most Indians would resonate with.”

    Adding his insight on the new campaign, Sun Pharma consumer health care VP and head Subodh Marwah  said, “The goal now is to expand our reach and induce higher trials and we plan to do it in a way that will be well received by the consumers. In Mahendra Singh Dhoni, we have found a perfect ambassador who is not only a physically fit athlete, but also boasts of extreme mental agility – attributes that define Revital H at its core.”

  • Revital H replaces Salman Khan with MS Dhoni as brand ambassador

    Revital H replaces Salman Khan with MS Dhoni as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Revital H has unveiled a new campaign featuring youth heartthrob and captain of the Indian cricket team Mahendra Singh Dhoni. MS Dhoni replaces the Kick hitmaker Salman Khan.

    The integrated campaign, created by Lowe Lintas Delhi rests on the powerful and intrinsically Indian insight that often success is attributed to luck, thereby diluting all the effort that goes behind the achievement. The campaign vividly attempts to correct this misconception and pave a way for the brand as a partner of success while embodying hard work and mental alertness. With that intention, the most successful Indian cricket captain, MS Dhoni was roped in as Revital H’s brand ambassador.

    Commenting on the new campaign, Lowe Lintas Delhi  president Naveen Gaur said, “The challenge for the agency was to take a really popular leader brand like Revital H to the next level of growth by creating a highly persuasive campaign. In its attempt to become a fast-evolving, achiever society there is a huge stress that’s laid on professional and personal success among individuals. The campaign attempts to position Revital H as a partner of success.”

    Sharing his thoughts on the campaign approach, Lowe Lintas  CCO  Arun Iyer said, “The campaign stems from the interesting insight that many times the success achieved by others is ascribed to their luck and all the effort that goes behind gets diluted. We took a leap on this insight and created communication that most Indians would resonate with.”

    Adding his insight on the new campaign, Sun Pharma consumer health care VP and head Subodh Marwah  said, “The goal now is to expand our reach and induce higher trials and we plan to do it in a way that will be well received by the consumers. In Mahendra Singh Dhoni, we have found a perfect ambassador who is not only a physically fit athlete, but also boasts of extreme mental agility – attributes that define Revital H at its core.”

  • Rhiti Group forays into retail biz with Seven; ropes in MS Dhoni as brand ambassador

    Rhiti Group forays into retail biz with Seven; ropes in MS Dhoni as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: RS Seven Lifestyle (P) Ltd, a part of Rhiti Group has forayed into the retail space with the launch of its active lifestyle brand, Seven. The company has roped in Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the brand ambassador.

    Under this banner, the company will manufacture and market running, training, indoor, and athletic-leisurewear apparel and footwear. Seven is a young, energetic brand designed to appeal to the modern youth or #changemakers.

    The brand aims to drive home the point that fitness is accessible to not just sportspersons but everybody, whether you want to break a world record or simply break a sweat.

    Dhoni, as an icon of this new, younger, more confident India, projects Seven’s can-do attitude.

    Speaking about the company’s foray into the retail business, Rhiti Group CMD and promoter Arun Pandey said, “At Rhiti Group we have always wanted to be associated with fitness and an active lifestyle in a meaningful manner. We believe fitness is everybody’s right and not the sole domain of professional athletes. Seven we believe will be the change maker that nudges people to make this shift not just in the thinking but also in the doing. And in MS Dhoni we have the perfect brand leader to inspire people to do just that. A range of footwear like it has always been MS’ dream and I’m glad that today with his involvement and expert inputs with the footwear division, we’ve been able to fulfil that dream and offer it to the world.”

    Dhoni added, “The Seven ambition is all about making fitness an intrinsic part of every city, every town, every school, every home. In my opinion, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to take your fitness seriously. All you need is the motivation to lead an active lifestyle. The thought-process and positioning of Seven really excites me and I think it will strongly resonate with the youth of India as well. It has always been my dream to have my own brand of footwear in the market, which offers high quality products at affordable price points for the larger masses. And that opportunity came to me with Seven, wherein I’m closely involved with the design and development of the footwear division, and I keep offering my inputs to the design team on a regular basis. Interestingly, Seven is also the number that I sport on my shirt, which only increases my fondness for the brand. I do hope that Seven’s vision for change become a reality.”

    Commenting of his acquired additional responsibility in the footwear division, Dhoni said, “I’m extremely excited to be involved in bigger capacity with the footwear division of Seven. I have been active from an early age and I believe it is essential to have correct footwear for performance and longevity. And I’m happy that Rhiti Group is committed to making high-quality products available at competitive prices.”

    Rhiti Group Group CEO Kumar Subramanian added, “Seven is an enabler of a healthy and active lifestyle. It’s a product and philosophy that invites everybody. It is the finest standard of active lifestyle footwear and apparel that is being specifically launched to target not just the cities but every small town of India. In MS Dhoni we find the perfect embodiment of this ambition. From a business standpoint, we don’t see ourselves in competition with other sports brands, we are in direct competition with lethargy, procrastination and the old way doing things. We have invested in design, in research, in production capabilities, but our biggest investment is our faith in the young generation of today’s India.”

  • Rhiti Group forays into retail biz with Seven; ropes in MS Dhoni as brand ambassador

    Rhiti Group forays into retail biz with Seven; ropes in MS Dhoni as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: RS Seven Lifestyle (P) Ltd, a part of Rhiti Group has forayed into the retail space with the launch of its active lifestyle brand, Seven. The company has roped in Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the brand ambassador.

    Under this banner, the company will manufacture and market running, training, indoor, and athletic-leisurewear apparel and footwear. Seven is a young, energetic brand designed to appeal to the modern youth or #changemakers.

    The brand aims to drive home the point that fitness is accessible to not just sportspersons but everybody, whether you want to break a world record or simply break a sweat.

    Dhoni, as an icon of this new, younger, more confident India, projects Seven’s can-do attitude.

    Speaking about the company’s foray into the retail business, Rhiti Group CMD and promoter Arun Pandey said, “At Rhiti Group we have always wanted to be associated with fitness and an active lifestyle in a meaningful manner. We believe fitness is everybody’s right and not the sole domain of professional athletes. Seven we believe will be the change maker that nudges people to make this shift not just in the thinking but also in the doing. And in MS Dhoni we have the perfect brand leader to inspire people to do just that. A range of footwear like it has always been MS’ dream and I’m glad that today with his involvement and expert inputs with the footwear division, we’ve been able to fulfil that dream and offer it to the world.”

    Dhoni added, “The Seven ambition is all about making fitness an intrinsic part of every city, every town, every school, every home. In my opinion, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to take your fitness seriously. All you need is the motivation to lead an active lifestyle. The thought-process and positioning of Seven really excites me and I think it will strongly resonate with the youth of India as well. It has always been my dream to have my own brand of footwear in the market, which offers high quality products at affordable price points for the larger masses. And that opportunity came to me with Seven, wherein I’m closely involved with the design and development of the footwear division, and I keep offering my inputs to the design team on a regular basis. Interestingly, Seven is also the number that I sport on my shirt, which only increases my fondness for the brand. I do hope that Seven’s vision for change become a reality.”

    Commenting of his acquired additional responsibility in the footwear division, Dhoni said, “I’m extremely excited to be involved in bigger capacity with the footwear division of Seven. I have been active from an early age and I believe it is essential to have correct footwear for performance and longevity. And I’m happy that Rhiti Group is committed to making high-quality products available at competitive prices.”

    Rhiti Group Group CEO Kumar Subramanian added, “Seven is an enabler of a healthy and active lifestyle. It’s a product and philosophy that invites everybody. It is the finest standard of active lifestyle footwear and apparel that is being specifically launched to target not just the cities but every small town of India. In MS Dhoni we find the perfect embodiment of this ambition. From a business standpoint, we don’t see ourselves in competition with other sports brands, we are in direct competition with lethargy, procrastination and the old way doing things. We have invested in design, in research, in production capabilities, but our biggest investment is our faith in the young generation of today’s India.”

  • IPL team Rising Pune Supergiants launch new jersey

    IPL team Rising Pune Supergiants launch new jersey

    MUMBAI: Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS), the new entrant in the ninth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), unveiled the team’s official jersey in striking new colours in New Delhi today, in the presence of the team owner RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group chairman Sanjiv Goenka and team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The team management also announced the appointment of ex-Indian cricketer Hrishikesh Kanitkar as the assistant coach of the side.

    Speaking on the occasion Goenka said, “On behalf of the entire family of Rising Pune Supergiants, I would like to congratulate the team’s think tank for putting up a formidable side for the upcoming season of IPL. With so many achievers and successful cricketers in our ranks we look forward to a solid performance and some electrifying camaraderie on field. Pune has a very strong fan base and they appreciate good cricket, we are looking forward to a new home and come April, the city of Pune will have their own team to cheer for.”

    Dhoni spoke about his new role as the captain of RPS, saying, “I am looking forward to a new experience with the RPS. IPL has always been the breeding ground for new exciting talents who have the potential to play vital part in the future for the Indian Cricket Team. This year we have a very balanced side with the right combination of youth and experience which is essential for any team to succeed. We have got some big hitters and players who know to bind the innings together by putting on partnerships. Both batting and bowling unit looks good on paper but consistent performance will be the yardstick for judging the team. I am really looking forward to working with the new team management and hopefully we can make the people of Pune happy with our performance.”

    RPS logo and jersey rationale 

    The elements used in the jersey connote the dynamism and ‘ever-rising’ spirit of the team RPS. The colours used are vibrant and complement each other in bringing out the winning attitude of the team. Of the colours on the jersey, purple in particular makes a statement of superiority and brings out the energy of this team of stars. “The orange colour signifies the team’s firm determination and enthusiasm to break every barrier, thus winning every game. The bold look of the jersey reflects the confidence and ability of this team of star players who have their sights set firmly on success,” said an official statement from RPS.

    The word ‘Rising’ at a deeper level traces back to the free spirit of ‘Pune’ that never bowed down before any odds. Moreover, it also depicts the heights of excellence and success the new team will achieve being studded with ‘Super’ players like Dhoni, Ashwin, and Smith. Every player in the team is a star who shines bright in every battle, giving their best under pressure. In that sense they are also ‘Giants’ with extraordinary stature, performing astonishing feats.

    The logo has a regal feel and its visual elements are an amalgamation of cricketing equipment like the bat, the ball and the bails. The wings impart an overall impression of ‘soaring high’ while the bold font provides a sense of solidity. The purple colour of the ball signifies the energy and stability of the team.

    RPS will be having ex-New Zealand Skipper Stephen Fleming as the Coach of the side. The team will also have a professional CEO in Raghu Iyer, who is a Sports, Media and Entertainment professional with 21 years of invaluable experience. Prior to joining the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, he was with Rajasthan Royals since its inception.