Mumbai: playR, the leading sports and lifestyle brand, is back in action as the official global merchandising partner of Mumbai Indians for IPL 2024.
If you’re a Mumbai Indians fan, get ready to show your team love in style with playR’s awesome range of Mumbai Indians Jersey It’s the perfect way to shout out your support for your favorite IPL team!
playR co-founder and iCOREts Pvt Ltd director Ravi Kukreja expressed his excitement about the partnership, “We are delighted to collaborate with Mumbai Indians once more. They are cricket legends, and we are thrilled to provide fans with high-quality gear that reflects their passion and loyalty.”
A Mumbai Indians spokesperson said, “As we expand globally, merchandise becomes a powerful bridge connecting us with fans in India and beyond. Our partner playR helps build a universal bond through diverse fan merchandise offerings, transcending borders.”
Founded in 2021, playR’s mission is to inspire customers to be creative, confident, and fearless by providing a unique and fashionable style. The brand offers a wide range of products, including t-shirts, jackets, shorts, tracksuits, bats, balls, leg guards, gloves, bicycles, bags, yoga mats, bottles, and limited-edition items. playR emphasises building long-term relationships with customers and employees, promoting community service and continuous employee education, and giving back to the community that supports their operations. They aim to be a leading provider of lifestyle, sports, and service management worldwide.
Mumbai: Cadbury Dairy Milk pays homage to the unsung heroes behind the success of our beloved cricket stars with its #ThankYouFirstCoach campaign. Through a 2-part series of heart-touching films, the campaign shines a spotlight on the mentors aka our beloved cricketer’s first coaches who were the first ones to recognize and nurture their talent from grassroots to grandeur.
Echoing the brand’s purpose of generosity, Cadbury Dairy Milk’s #ThankYouFirstCoach campaign features the coaches of celebrated cricketers Surya Kumar of Mumbai Indians (MI) and KL Rahul of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), depicting their heartfelt tributes to their first coaches, who played pivotal roles in shaping their careers. From the vibrant streets to the electrifying stadiums, these films capture the profound gratitude and emotion exchanged between players and mentors. The campaign also encourages fans to participate by expressing gratitude to their own first coaches, highlighting the transformative power of appreciation in nurturing talent and fostering aspirations.
Over the years, Cadbury Dairy Milk has built on its core guiding principle of evoking generosity by regularly shining a spotlight on often unnoticed or unacknowledged people in society. As #ThankYouFirstCoach sweeps across the nation, Cadbury Dairy Milk invites everyone to share in the sweetness of gratitude and recognize the profound impact of first coaches in shaping the future of cricket.
Commenting on the campaign, Mondelez India VP of Marketing Nitin Saini said, “Over the past few years, the marriage between cricket and generosity at the back of impactful story-doing has driven strong consumption growth and saliency for our brand. And the aim is to only accelerate this journey in 2024 with Cadbury Dairy Milk’s #ThankYouFirstCoach campaign epitomizing the brand’s purpose of ‘generosity’. Through this emotional odyssey, we not only celebrate the transformative power of gratitude but also champion the profound impact of these guiding lights in shaping dreams and fostering talent- the first risk-takers, the first believers, the first mentors. As we honour the silent architects behind cricket’s success stories, we invite everyone to join us in this heartfelt tribute, embracing the sweetness of appreciation and the joy of acknowledging those who paved the way for greatness.”
Ogilvy India chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak added “Cadbury Dairy Milk has been using the biggest cricketing event in the country, IPL, to shine the spotlight on those important aspects of the game that don’t get the due recognition. This year it’s the first coaches of the stars of cricket. Our starting point was a simple question, when fans cheer for the players every time they play their famous shots, do they really know who would have helped them develop that shot before they become popular? We simply wanted to acknowledge these GURUs of the game and nudge the country to thank them for their contribution towards the game, moreover towards turning our favourite players into stars.”
Wavemaker India chief client officer & office head, West, North & East Shekhar Banerjee mentioned “Cadbury Dairy Milk’s latest campaign stands as a testament to the often overlooked heroes behind our cricketing legends—their first coaches. Through this campaign across multiple touchpoints and unique partnerships, we are dedicated to bringing in the limelight to these unsung heroes who shaped our cricket stars. Watch out as we unveil this heartfelt tribute to the first coaches during this highly anticipated IPL season.”
As part of the campaign, special jerseys are being designed for these mentors, honoured with the names of their star pupils from Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants. In addition to this, Cadbury Dairy Milk has introduced special packs that allow fans to join the #ThankYouFirstCoach movement, serving as a tangible symbol of gratitude for their own mentors. Furthermore, as a gesture of appreciation, the brand is extending an exclusive invitation to the first coaches of every IPL player to join them in the family box during matches. Here, cricketers will have the opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank their coaches, symbolically bowing to them in recognition of their invaluable contribution to their journey. This unique experience not only celebrates the unsung heroes of cricket but also fosters a sense of connection and gratitude within the sporting community.
Mumbai: NIC Ice Creams, a brand known for their honestly crafted ice creams has been onboarded as an official partner of the Mumbai Indians, who are the five-time winners of India’s premier men’s domestic T20 league.
With a wide range of delectable flavours of honestly crafted ice creams made without adding preservatives and using best quality nature-sourced ingredients, NIC Ice Creams has become a rapidly growing brand. Currently, the brand is present across 120+ cities in India and aims to redefine the ice cream experience for Indian consumers through its flavour offerings and parlours. It is also an early adopter to new-age consumption patterns and is available on platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Instamart, Zepto, Dotpe, Thrive etc.
Data shows that snacks and desserts are the ideal and preferred accompaniment to watching thrilling T20 cricket matches. This partnership with Mumbai Indians offers NIC the perfect platform to serve customers at home as well as in-stadia, while they cheer for their favourite team during the cricket season.
Sharing his thoughts on the partnership, Walko Food Company director Sanjiv Shah said, “We are immensely proud to be associated with the Mumbai Indians, one of the most successful teams in the tournament. They are known for their winning spirit coupled with a strong focus on excellence and innovation – values that are aligned with our own philosophy at NIC.” He further added, “Moreover, there is a special emotional connect with Mumbai as the city’s love for the sport, woven deep into its very culture, is legendary. Through this partnership, we hope to create memorable experiences for every cricket fan.”
Commenting on this new partnership, A Mumbai Indians spokesperson said, “We are delighted to welcome NIC Ice Creams to the Mumbai Indians family. With NIC Ice Creams on a very strong growth path, this partnership will give them the opportunity to build brand awareness as well as reach out to customers across the country leveraging the Mumbai Indians platforms on offer.”
MUMBAI: The sports sponsorship market is booming. Never before has more money been pumped into marketing sporting events, athletes and sports teams- globally as well as in India. According to a recent Nielsen study, sports sponsorships were up by 107 per cent in 2021, even as sponsorships drove an average of 10 per cent lift in purchase intent among the fan base. Today, aided by accelerated digitalisation, sports sponsorship offers brands entirely new opportunities than a few years ago, that’s especially attractive. And when it comes to sporting properties in India, it goes without saying that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is indisputably the mother of them all!
For the second consecutive year DHL Express India, one of the leading players in logistics, parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and international supply chain management is the principal sponsor and official logistics partner of Mumbai Indians (MI). The deliverables entailed in the partnership are indicative of the brand’s 360-degree approach. While the brand logo can be prominently seen on the back of the players’ jerseys, DHL branding is visible in the player dugout banners, stadium concourse, outdoor, as well as digital and print ads of the MI team and all its official stationery. And that includes the right to present the coin toss in one home match!
As DHL Express (DHLE) India, enters its second year of partnership with Mumbai Indians, IndianTelevision.com had an exclusive interaction with DHLE India VP of sales and marketing Sandeep Juneja to try and understand the background and rationale behind the continued association. Having joined DHLE in 2004, Juneja worked his way up in the organisation, taking on the mantle of VP- sales & marketing in October 2013. He has played a key role in driving the sales and marketing strategies, especially in the new normal.
Juneja also shares insights into the value and ROI that DHLE gained basis the partnership as well as the campaigns it has planned to further leverage the collaboration. Despite its bad run at the IPL this year the MI team remains one of the crowd favourites. The brand recently released its latest ad film featuring the MI players titled ‘DHL #TheTeamBehindTheTeam for Mumbai Indians – 2022.’
Edited excerpts:
On the value/ROI that DHLE gained basis its partnership with Mumbai Indians in 2021
2021 was a bit different for the Indian Premier League. While it started with an in-stadia audience, the second wave of Covid-19 put a halt to the game, moving it to the later part of the year. However, for DHL Express India, it still ended up being a fruitful association with the team. As per Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India data, while the tournament’s reach (live matches on TV) in India was 405 million, matches featuring Mumbai Indians were watched by 306.5 million households. In fact, the buzz on social media around the team also saw an 18 per cent growth over 2020. All this data only strengthens our belief in Mumbai Indians and this partnership. In fact, the presence of DHL’s logo on the back of the jersey positions us as the team behind the team and we have enjoyed great brand visibility with this association.
On the background and rationale behind the long-term partnership with IPL & Mumbai Indians
DHL, globally, over the years, has supported some of the world’s largest and most popular sports formats – from football to rugby, Formula One and even e-sports. Collaborating with prominent events helps brands, such as ours, to generate leads, and build customer loyalty and credibility. Cricket is a game that is well-loved and followed with ardent devotion in India, and many nations across the world. If you talk about the Indian Premier League, it is a festival in this country. The league has been able to successfully bring together sports and entertainment, making it an event for everyone, regardless of age or gender. IPL brings countries together and gets them all on one single platform.
Even within the IPL, it was essential for us to partner with a team that shares similar values. For DHL Express, the partnership with Mumbai Indians demonstrates our support for sports given the shared spirit of speed, passion, teamwork, and a can-do attitude. Mumbai Indians has proved its mettle in the game. If one has to go with pure data, they tick all the boxes: five-time champion, most popular team in IPL, highest social media buzz generator during the game, and many more. Mumbai Indians demonstrates “Excellence: Simply Delivered,” which is in sync with our mission. Therefore, we are glad to be the principal sponsor and official logistics partner for Mumbai Indians for the second consecutive year.
Sports sponsorships, like the one with Mumbai Indians, gives us an opportunity to widen our canvas and expand our target audience. It helps us build brand awareness and equity with not only a more varied target group but also reconnect with our customers and stakeholders through multiple touchpoints, a necessity in a post-pandemic world. Through this partnership, we hope to better connect with our customers and reach out to a wider customer base.
On how does the brand aim to strengthen its bond with its TG through this association
The viewership data for IPL suggests that the tournament cuts across sections, gender, geography and age groups. It is a great platform to reach out to people, primarily in the age group of 25-35, especially from tier I and II cities. This partnership with Mumbai Indians has helped DHL expand its target group and become a household brand. This season, we are looking forward to amplifying our MI partnership through a carefully curated and immersive 360-degree campaign with a focus on digital.
With our various digital activations, we created multiple touchpoints, thus giving us an opportunity to have instant and engaging conversations with our audiences across gender, geography, and age groups. We have introduced an all-new brand film featuring the crowd favourite Mumbai Indians players, to establish ourselves as the team behind the five-time league champions, as well as our customers. In fact, our digital video on #TheTeamBehindTheTeam trended number two in the first hour of it being activated on Twitter. Also, via our several social media fan contests and campaigns like Six for a Cause, DHL Match Ke Stars, the interaction with both the MI players and fans were much more authentic. We were able to tap into a new set of customers and build a greater connection with our existing customers via this crowd favorite game.
On the strategy and activations planned to further leverage this collaboration
With the traditional and digital worlds merging, it is vital for brands to leverage new technology and utilise digital platforms to develop engagement like never before. After a fruitful partnership last year, this season, we aim to amplify the association via a 360-degree marketing approach. Through digital, social, radio, print, and outdoor mediums, we will take our activations to the next level. We have leveraged all these mediums to ensure our visibility on and off the field.
Given that people are stepping out of their homes again, we have focused on outdoor advertising as well. This will include personalised branding on over 50 DHL vans, outdoor ads & radio spots. We are working on creating interactive content to engage with our target audience on social media.
We will also engage with Mumbai Indians fans as well as our current and potential customers via fan contests on social media like ‘DHL Match Ke Stars’ and through our alpha campaign – ‘Six for a Cause.’ The campaign will showcase Mumbai Indians players holding interactive sessions with the blind cricket team. We will also donate Rs 20,000 for every six that a MI player hits during their game. The proceeds of this will go to Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled which supports blind cricketers.
The focus for any brand that wants to build and retain its market position should be put on continuous user engagement, via digital touchpoints such as search engine marketing, snackable digital content, online knowledge sharing and round-the-clock availability of sales executives. We employ a 360-degree marketing mix to build stronger customer relationships. Be it television, radio, online or print, we try to ensure our brand visibility across media channels. We believe in leveraging all these channels throughout the year.
Mumbai: Diageo India’s flagship brand McDowell’s No1 Soda has announced its association with five IPL teams Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals as their ‘celebrations partner’ for the latest season of T20 Cricket.
“This year, McDowell’s No1 Soda plans to take the celebrations that arrive with the cricket season a notch higher with its campaign #No1YaariCheers. The umbrella spirits brand will be using this to enhance its engagement and celebration for this cricket season across languages and regions,” the brand said in a statement.
The brand campaign is ideated and created by the creative team at DDB Mudra. Talking about the creative concept, DDB Mudra executive vice president and business partner Sujay Ghosh said, “McDowell’s No1 has always stood for Yaari and mehfil (gathering). Cricket epitomises both of these. Hence this cricket season, we took the opportunity to create a new way to celebrate. Chants (Cheers) will be the new language of fans and friends this year, powered by the teams and McDowell’s No1 Soda.”
“Cricket is a sporting extravaganza that brings the entire country together with inspiring sporting action that’s a feast for Indians across the length and breadth of the country,” said Diageo India executive vice president and portfolio head – marketing Ruchira Jaitley. “So naturally, we are delighted to be associated with these five iconic teams. Moreover, this cricket season is the perfect platform to bring alive the special moments when yaars connect and make magic happen, whether while playing or else while watching this tournament.
“To further add to the fun and entertainment, we are excited to give fans a chance to cheer for their teams with inspiring and playful language like never before. McDowell’s No1 Soda is proud to share the spirit of Yaari with these amazing teams and build a meaningful new partnership,” Jaitley further said.
“Every win is a celebration not because it is a win but because of all the hard work that goes behind it and this year we are delighted to associate with McDowell’s No1 Soda as our celebration partner and hope our 12th Man Army will join us in celebrations and cheer for the team,” Royal Challengers Bangalore vice-president & head Rajesh Menon said.
A spokesperson for Mumbai Indians stated, “We welcome McDowell’s No1 Soda on board as we go into the fresh season and look forward to creating many opportunities for our fans to celebrate.”
“Walking into a new season with our first win, we are extremely excited to have the iconic McDowell’s No1 Soda who has always resonated and stood for strong bonds of Yaari join us as our Celebration partners. We are excited for what is in store and cannot wait to cheer along with them and our fans through the season as we battle it out to win the trophy.” commented Kolkata Knight Riders chief marketing officer Binda Dey.
Talking about this partnership, Rajasthan Royals CEO Jake Lush McCrum said, “We are pleased to be partnering with McDowell’s No1 Soda and have them support the team this season. We are hoping for a very successful season for the franchise, with many celebratory moments for fans to share with friends and family.”
“Over the last 10 years, we have seen a lot of bonds form amongst our players, both Indian and international, thus making the sport more entertaining for the fans. That is the testimony- that yaars and yaari can truly make things happen. We are excited to have the No1 enabler of friendships, McDowell’s No1 Soda on board this year and forge new bonds through the season,” Sunrisers Hyderabad CEO K. Shanmugam commented on this association.
The fans of the teams can follow the hashtag #No1YaariCheers and share their fun cheers for their favourite team through the season and win exciting prizes, said the statement.
Mumbai: IPL franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) has launched its team anthem titled “MI MI Bol Ke, Khelenge Dil Kholke.” The anthem comes as an addition to its ongoing campaign ‘Khelenge Dil Khol Ke’ which is conceptualised by Ogilvy.
While the last film was for aspiring cricketers, the latest one is for the fans, MI said. “The anthem is a reflection of the young and gen-Z fans, who have continued to support and push us forward, every time we take to the field,” said a Mumbai Indian spokesperson.
The video features the entire playing squad of MI including Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Kieron Pollard, Surya Kumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and others.
The anthem brings a perfect combination of emotion and winning spirit while celebrating the idea of playing cricket on the streets of India. The video represents the passion for playing cricket and how the journey takes the players through a rollercoaster of emotions.
With this newly launched energetic anthem video, MI aims to connect with GenZ, vibing over the idea of playing the game of life with all your heart, imagining the impossible and making it a reality, to never lose faith and give their best at everything they do.
Ogilvy managing director Anurag Agnihotri feels that IPL is cricketainment. “It’s cricket with huge doses of entertainment mixed in,” he explained.
Speaking of the campaign, he said, “While we addressed the fulfillment of dreams of young aspiring cricketers in the last campaign, we wanted to have some fun this time around. The last film was for aspiring cricketers. This one, though, is for the fans. It’s an all-out visual spectacle with a sing-along aspect. It’s a chant for fans to express their love. We owed them something for their love. This is our way of giving them something they can truly own.”
Sharing the idea behind this vibrant anthem, a Mumbai Indian spokesperson said, “Mumbai Indians have always played with passion – Straight from the heart, driven by the motto – never give up.”
“Also, one of our main pillars is the fans that we have across the globe. Our style of cricket, brand values, and everything that we do resonates with their values, beliefs and inspires them, which is reflected in the growth of the MI Paltan army over the years,” the spokesperson added.
Mumbai: As the country gears up for the much-awaited cricket season, chocolate brand Cadbury Dairy Milk has partnered with Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to celebrate and support the often-unnoticed heroes of the league, the ground staff.
This season, the brand has become the official sponsor for the ground staff, and as a part of this initiative, it introduced efforts focused on treating the ground staff at par with the cricketers. “This includes best-in-class travel, accommodation, taking care of their nutritional needs, and providing customised jerseys designed by renowned fashion designer Masaba Gupta, throughout the season,” according to the statement.
The brand has also extended its collaboration with Mumbai Indians as the official ‘goodness partner’ supporting the initiative.
Speaking about the initiative, Mondelez India VP of marketing Anil Viswanathan said they want to support and bring forth stories of these members who tirelessly work behind the scenes. “We hope our initiative acts as a springboard and spreads the message of acknowledging the unacknowledged,” he added.
“Building further on our generosity platform, this cricketing season we are proud to celebrate the team of ground staff. We are grateful to have them as our team,” stated Ogilvy India chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak.
“The ground staff are the unsung heroes of cricket, so it was only fair that we now acknowledged the heroes behind this massive event,” commented Wavemaker India’s national director – sports and entertainment partnerships Jigar Rambhia. “The biggest challenge for us, however, was to ensure that they get their dues, while cricket & the players continue to be at the center of this event.”
“To do this we decided to acknowledge their efforts, where they sweat it out the most, their grounds. From recognising them off-screen to recognising them on screen, we aim to give the people of India a glimpse into the lives of the ground staff, so that when they watch cricket next, they celebrate, both: on-screen and off-screen heroes,’’ he added.
“Acknowledging the real heroes behind the scenes is a very generous gesture. Mumbai Cricket Association is delighted to be a part of this never done before heart-warming activity for the ground staff at Wankhede stadium,” the MCA spokesperson highlighted.
Mumbai: Viral Fission’s content arm Studio TBH has announced its collaboration with Mumbai Indians. This partnership aims to engage with the gen-z audience through relatable, wholesome, and trendy content on Instagram.
“Mumbai Indians is already known as the most digitally active IPL franchise. With this move, the team is driving engaging reels all across Instagram. From ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ musical parodies to alternate endings of Bollywood films if IPL was on, the studio has a content lineup to look forward to,” said the statement.
Studio TBH creative director Shreya Nair is very excited about the collaboration as she said, “With Mumbai as our home ground, there was an instant connection and fun that became a part of our creation process, paving the way for us to build a content lineup, which we are looking forward to.”
The videos are produced, shot, and edited by studio TBH’s crew on a real-time basis during the IPL season, by tracking the ongoing match schedule, according to the statement.
Mumbai: Homegrown grooming brand Bombay Shaving Company has signed on as the ‘official grooming partner’ of Mumbai Indians for the upcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL).
As part of this association, the brand logo will be seen on player helmets, caps and kits right through the two-month carnival of cricket. It will appear at the stadium, on TV, in social media, and across all other Mumbai Indians marketing touchpoints in the city, said the brand in a statement. “The company aims to reach over 300 million men and women across India over the next three months as partners of the T20 Cricket extravaganza 2022,” it added.
“We’re not only immersed in Mumbai Indians, we intend to become an integral part of the lives of the people in Mumbai and the state of Maharashtra,” said Bombay Shaving Company COO Deepak Gupta. “We are planning to expand our distribution to 1,00,000 stores by the end of this year, stock up shelves with some of our best products, and paint the town blue with exciting merchandise, offers and activities for both – customers and partners. We understand the love people of the city have for the team, and we want to be the brand that brings them closer to the team.”
“We have always believed in associating with brands which resonate and support our objective to create the best fan experience,” stated Mumbai Indians’ spokesperson. “Bombay Shaving Company brings a seamless brand and team connect as our partner and we look forward to having a successful collaboration with them in a season where we eagerly await welcoming and entertaining the fans in the stadiums.”
More than anything else, it’s been a meeting of values with the franchise. Beyond the blue, and similarities in name, Mumbai Indians represent the sentiment of the nation – with a wonderful mix of players and faces from every region. As a brand and company built with the intent to bring a smile on faces across India, and help them put their ‘best look forward’, there couldn’t have been a better platform and team to partner with. It’s been the most spontaneous choice,” commented Bombay Shaving Company founder and CEO Shantanu Deshpande.
Earlier this year, the grooming brand made its presence felt in the recently concluded India vs Sri Lanka series. This partnership is set to further propel the brand, according to a statement.
Mumbai: Ahead of the much anticipated first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to be played on 26 March here, the Reliance Industries-owned franchise Mumbai Indians has gone all out to welcome the fellow nine franchises to its home city.
The #WelcomeDilKholKe billboards, customised to each of the visiting teams, have been set up across key locations in the city and uses a creative rendition to bring alive the spirit of sports, excitement and affection.
The campaign celebrates the spirit of Mumbai, the camaraderie of the teams and showcases their passion for sports. A dash of yellow to ‘Welcome Chennai Super Kings – Whistle Podu Dil Khol Ke,’ while Kolkata Knight Riders are welcomed to the city with their iconic ‘Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo Dil Khol Ke’ slogan.
These warm heartfelt messages are greeting players, officials and the fans of each of these franchises representing different parts of the country as they set base across Mumbai for the IPL 2022. There is anticipation in the air, as fans, too, look forward to returning with fervour into the stadium to support their teams.
“The billboards installed across the city capture the creative expressions of the spirit of Mumbai – the city of dreams which welcomes every individual to its land of opportunity,” Mumbai Indians spokesperson said. “We, Mumbai Indians are a reflection of the city, its ethos and this campaign is a tribute to the warmth of the people of Mumbai in welcoming all the franchises of our IPL family.”
“With IPL back in India and Mumbai, Mumbai Indians look forward to welcoming its loyal blue & gold Paltan back to the stadiums. We take pride in having one of the most passionate fan army – the Paltan who have backed the team for a decade and more with their unrelenting energy and enthusiasm.”
The fifteenth edition of the T20 League is set to be played across Mumbai and Pune. Mumbai Indians will start their campaign against Delhi Capitals at Brabourne Stadium on 27 March.
