Mumbai: Global sports brand Puma has partnered with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to launch an all-new athleisure range.
Having garnered huge success in the first season of the IPL, Puma has decided to further strengthen its partnership with RCB with a collection that celebrates the indomitable spirit and fierce attitude of the team, said the brand in a statement. Combining Puma’s expertise in elevated product design and RCB’s core brand values, the collection offers the team’s ardent fans unique pieces with a playful twist, it added.
“Royal Challengers Bangalore is undoubtedly the most popular cricket team in the T20 League and enjoys an ever-increasing fandom across the country. We are really excited to partner with them for the launch of the athleisure range,” said Puma India and Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly. “Bringing the best of both worlds, the collection leverages Puma’s design expertise and RCB’s fashionable DNA. Through an exclusive PumaxRCB range we aim to strengthen the team’s connect with its fans across the country.”
Dropping right in time for the T20 season, the collection offers RCB fans an opportunity to showcase their passion for the team all year round by sporting merchandise that has been reimagined through a fashion lens, said the brand.
“The launch of the athleisure collection makes RCB the only cricket team to move beyond traditional retail merchandise into the world of GenZ, millennial fashion wear,” stated vice president and head Rajesh Menon. “This collection indeed represents the evolving brand ethos of RCB in a cutting-edge streetwear, on-trend lifestyle avatar which will completely resonate with young India.”
The collection is available at select Puma stores, on puma.com, RCB.com, and the RCB Bar & Café.
NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to suspend the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for the time being after several players and support staff reportedly contracted Covid2019.
“The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL. This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and wellbeing of all the stakeholders in mind,” said a statement issued by the BCCI after an urgent meeting with the IPL governing council.
“These are difficult times, especially in India and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times,” it added.
The governing body for cricket in India went on to say that it will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021.
The decision comes close on the heels of Monday’s match between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) being postponed after KKR bowlers Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive for Covid2019.
According to a report by Sportstar, the decision was taken after Amit Mishra and Wriddhiman Saha too tested positive on Tuesday. Multiple BCCI officials and the franchises have confirmed the development to media publications.
Reports stated that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had informed the BCCI that the team won’t play its upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals in New Delhi on Wednesday after two members of its squad, bowling coach L Balaji, and a bus cleaner tested Covid positive.
Many Australian players have left the IPL early amidst the second Covid wave tearing through India.
The development is sure to throw a spanner in the plans of broadcaster Star Sports and the brands who had sought to capitalise on the league’s incredible popularity and reach.
After a season abroad due to the Covid pandemic, the IPL had returned to India for its fourteenth season and a bio bubble was set up to ensure the safety of players, team staff, crew and other people involved in the league’s execution. However, the bio bubble has proved to be less than infallible as Covid positive cases were detected within even before the tournament kicked off on April 9. Now, after almost a month and millions of new cases reported, the deadly virus has pierced the bubble. With multiple infected persons cropping up across teams since last week, the fate of IPL 2021 hangs in the balance.
MUMBAI: Herbalife Nutrition is now the official nutrition partner to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the 2021 season of the India Premier League. The global nutrition brand is known for fueling the performance of several sporting teams and athletes globally and this association reflects the commitment of both Herbalife Nutrition and RCB to optimal nutrition as a cornerstone of excellent sporting performance.
Herbalife Nutrition vice president & country head Ajay Khanna said that the company is proud to extend its expertise to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
"The team comprises some of the best global cricketing talent and they have made a great start in the season. We look forward to launching ‘Bold is Fit’ with Royal Challengers Bangalore and supporting their nutritional requirements to help them in continued success for the season," said Khanna, reported ANI.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vice president Rajesh V Menon said, "We at Royal Challengers Bangalore place a strong emphasis on health, fitness, and wellness and this partnership signifies the same purpose. Building on this, Herbalife Nutrition will also partner with Royal Challengers Bangalore as the lead presenting sponsor of our highly engaged ‘Bold is Fit’ fitness series on the Royal Challengers Bangalore Mobile Application and Social pages, with branding rights, purpose-led product integration, and more. This truly makes our association with Herbalife Nutrition all-encompassing.''
MUMBAI: Global sports brand Puma has signed a long-term partnership deal with two up and coming players, Washington Sundar and Devdutt Padikkal. The duo joins Puma’s impressive roster of cricketers that include Indian captain Virat Kohli, wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul, women’s national cricketer Sushma Verma and legends like Yuvraj Singh.
Considered the future of Indian cricket, Sundar and Padikkal have been punching above their weights in major cricketing tournaments. Sundar’s all-round performance in Australia helped the Indian cricket team clinch a historic away test series win and Padikkal emerged as a ‘find of the season’ with his stellar performance for Royal Challengers Bangalore in his debut Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Sundar, a game changer and Devdutt, a consistent run-getter in the domestic circuit perfectly embody Puma’s ‘Forever Faster’ spirit.
Puma India and southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly said, “Washington and Devdutt have displayed remarkable resilience and grit on field that’s led to their meteoric rise as athletes. We have always believed in supporting not just established players, but also talent with immense future potential. We will continue to partner with young athletes, also at the grassroots to give back to India’s sporting ecosystem.”
Washington Sundar said, “Feels great to be associated with a brand like Puma which has some of the world’s greatest athletes in their roster. Watching skipper Virat Kohli and KL Rahul closely has given me a deeper insight into the brand. Puma adds a lot of credibility to an athlete’s journey and I’m excited to work with the brand in India.”
Devdutt Padikkal added, “A partnership with a global sports brand like Puma is really a big motivation for young athletes like me. I’m looking forward to a long-term association with the brand.”
Sundar and Devdutt are currently part of the Kohli-led IPL team, Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ongoing IPL 2021.
MUMBAI: How many times have you seen the Indian cricket team’s former captain Rahul Dravid lose his cool and holler at an opponent? Chances are nil. Known for his calm and gentlemanly temperament, both on and off-the-field, ‘The Wall’, as he’s been dubbed for his rock solid Test match innings, has seldom been known to crumble even under the most intense, nail-biting match situations. So, it’s not surprising that a new ad for credit card payment app Cred, which shows him in a never-before-seen angry avatar, has been breaking the internet! Fans just cannot have enough of this spanking-new side of the cricketer.
So much so that, even current Team India skipper Virat Kohli could not believe his eyes and took to Twitter to share his disbelief saying, “Never seen this side of Rahul bhai,” with a shocked emoji.
The ad plays precisely on this sense of disbelief to promote Cred’s cashback and reward schemes, saying that the offer may sound as unbelievable and ridiculous as saying “Rahul Dravid has anger issues!” And then goes on to show the rarely-flustered cricketer losing his cool while stuck in Bengaluru’s infamous traffic jam. Dravid aces his road rage acting display, even going on to stand up through his SUV’s sunroof with a cricket bat in hand to holler, “Indiranagar ka gunda hun main!’ (I am the don of Indiranagar- a well-known locality in the metro).”
The ad, released ahead of the opening match of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, went viral in no time and has garnered two million views already.
It even sparked a meme fest online, with some netizens listing it among Dravis’s best ‘performances’ and some blaming the cricketer’s new-found aggression on the Bengaluru traffic, saying it can do this to the best of us.
NEW DELHI: The countdown has begun for one of the biggest cricketing events – the 14th edition of Vivo IPL 2021. The sporting extravaganza will return home after two years following a stellar show in the United Arab Emirates last November.
The season is all set to kickstart on 9 April in Chennai with a high octane clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. But once again, all the matches will be played in empty stadiums, with no enthusiastic fans to cheer their favourite teams. The second wave of Covid2019 continues to pose a challenge, as the league recovers from a pandemic-hit 2020.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it is confident of hosting the IPL at home with the health and safety of players and all people involved being paramount. How will this arrangement pan out for the brands and advertisers, who have pinned high hopes on the league? Will there be an impact on TV viewership, with restrictions eased across most parts of the country and people back in offices? Will IPL 2021 be able to sustain the momentum it built last year?
Some of these questions will take center stage at IPL 2021: Brand marketers' delight? – a virtual roundtable to be hosted by Indiantelevision.com today. An esteemed panel of representatives from media and advertising agencies will deliberate upon the potential power of the league and the opportunities it holds for brands and the M&E industry, as it looks to make a comeback on its home ground.
The panel will comprise of Mediacom national buying head Srinivas Rao, Byju’s head of marketing Atit Mehta, dentsu India chief executive officer Anand Bhadkamkar, Initiative (IPG Mediabrands) south head & vice president Priya Iyer, and Indiantelevision.com’s founder, CEO & editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.
The virtual roundtable will begin at 3:30 pm on 7 April and will be live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Join us for stimulating conversations and interesting insights on the potential power of the IPL as it returns with its 14th edition.
NEW DELHI: With the curtain-raiser of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 mere days away, brands are rushing to seal the deal with the teams in the fray. The latest to join the IPL ‘brandwagon’ is e-commerce major Myntra which has become the official fashion partner for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
As part of this association, the online retailer will create content stories with RCB through the lens of fashion, while also extending the association onto the Myntra app with various offerings.
Myntra and RCB will also create about 150 engaging videos for the die-hard fans of the game under four broad themes, which will be released on RCB's social channels. This content collaboration will allow the fashion etailer to give RCB fans a peek into the lives of their favourite cricketing icons, such as their style choices and various other preferences.
Additionally, Myntra will collaborate with RCB on five bespoke quirky fashion content pieces for their digital properties. The videos will be available across two of the key RCB’s digital properties, RCB Insider and RCB Bold Diaries, featuring ‘Mr Nags’ and various other marquee players of the team.
Myntra chief marketing officer Harish Narayanan said, "Our collaboration with RCB will touch millions of fans, a number that's considered one of the highest among T20 teams, across the team's social media platforms. This is a unique association as it allows us to integrate our brand presence and engage with the audience at various levels across all leading communication channels of the franchise. "
Royal Challengers Bangalore vice president and head Rajesh V Menon said, “In addition to our official partnership, we are glad to also have Myntra as our lead sponsor on our marquee digital content properties – RCB Insider, 12th Man TV, Bold Diaries and Game Day. This truly enhances the opportunities for bespoke brand integration, reach and engagement of the partnership."
NEW DELHI: Eatfit has signed cricketer Devdutt Padikkal as its brand ambassador. This strategic association with the Royal Challengers Bangalore star will be for four years.
Padikkal is the new cricketing kid on the block – a left-hand batsman, who oozes passion and confidence. He started playing the sport at the age of 11 and slowly climbed up the ranks to carve a niche for himself. Starting from 2014, he has represented Karnataka state in under-16 and under-19 and India in the under-19 tournaments.
EatFit co-founder Ankit Nagori said, “It gives me immense pleasure to welcome Devdutt Padikkal to the Eatfit family. This collaboration will foster and strengthen the brand as well as chart new growth trajectories for Eatfit. Padikkal’s unwavering commitment, youthful exuberance and passion for the game will certainly establish a connect with our target audience. His aura is in perfect line with the brand identity we are trying to carve for Eatfit and we hope that our customers resonate with this collaboration. We are excited to work on some fun campaigns with him.”
Padikkal said, “I am thankful to Eatfit for getting me on board as their brand ambassador. I admire their passion and commitment to transforming the healthy food landscape in India. Their constant efforts to make healthy food cool and delicious at the same time is something that connects with me.”
The partnership between Eatfit and Padikkal will be managed by the latter's management agency, Flipside Sport. The cricketer will represent the brand in all marketing campaigns for the next four years as the company aims to expand to 10 more cities in that timeframe.
NEW DELHI: ITC’s Sunfeast Dark Fantasy had announced its first-time collaboration with team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the onset of the T20 cricketing season. Through this collaboration, the brand aims to associate itself meaningfully with the hugely popular sport and star cricketers from team RCB. Built around every fan’s ‘Dark Fantasy’ for the team’s victory this season and a relatable yet entertaining spin on a superstition that biting into Sunfeast Dark Fantasy while watching a match will lead to a favorable performance, is the launch of Sunfeast’s Dark Fantasy ‘Lucky Hai’ conversation.
As fans continue to enjoy the tournament from the comfort of their homes, RCB’s successful performance this year only enhances the watching experience for the Fans. Right in time for the fans’ celebratory mood is a new TVC, capturing a slice-of-life and relatable match moment is a part of a larger campaign “Asli Maza andar se aayega”. One among the three friends believes that his ‘Dark Fantasy’ is a lucky cookie and he bites into it at a crucial match moment. Upon hearing this, while the other two friends initially break into laughter, they soon see things work out in their favor in the match and celebrate by sharing that pack of Sunfeast Dark Fantasy. This film is a part of a larger campaign on the thought of ‘Asli Mazaa Andar Se Aayega’ which features consumers in relatable situations watching the tournament while enjoying their favorite cookie from within their homes this year.
ITC COO biscuits and cakes Ali Harris Shere said, “Over the years, Sunfeast Dark Fantasy has carved a unique niche for itself with its indulgent offerings that evoke a happy feeling from within, similar to the sentiments cricket fans experience while watching the popular tournament. We are very happy that our first, new-formed association with team Royal Challengers Bangalore has started on a positive note and look forward to a fantastic cricketing season of delighting fans and consumers alike.”
NEW DELHI: Max Life Insurance Company has unveiled its latest ad campaign with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Featuring ace players of the team in a geared up avatar, the brand new television commercial (TVC) attempts to reinforce the importance of financial protection in the form of term insurance to the millennial audiences, given the uncertainties brought upon by Covid2019.
Max Life’s recent India Protection Quotient Express survey conducted in association with Kantar, revealed that only 51 per cent digitally savvy, urban Indian millennials feel financially secure during Covid2019. The survey also revealed that only 36 per cent millennials own term insurance during Covid2019. Given the uncertainties around us, term insurance is a must-have tool to ensure the financial protection of family and loved ones, making it important to fortify its awareness especially among millennials.
The zippy ad film opens up with a chat between the Royal Challengers Bangalore players. The players are seen discussing the importance of physical wellness in order to play on the front foot in the cricket field. But to ensure that one continues to play on the front foot even off-the-field, it is important to remain financially protected with a term insurance plan, the players add. Be it T20 or the year 2020, protective gear in the form of term insurance is required to safeguard loved ones against the financial risks and uncertainties of life. The ad further iterates that with Max Life’s term insurance with Covid2019 rider protection, one can continue to charge #ProtectionFrontFootPe, off the field.
The ad film ends on an encouraging note, inspired by Max Life’s flagship campaign which says – “You Are The Difference”. The same urges audiences to secure their family’s financial future because even amidst a pandemic, it is You who brings a difference to your loved ones, and they depend on you for security – both emotional and financial.
Moreover, to help one navigate the financial perils brought upon by Covid2019, Max Life recently launched its ‘Max Life COVID-19 One Year Term Rider, a Non-Linked Non-Participating Individual Pure Risk Premium Life Insurance Rider (UIN: 104B048V01)’ with comprehensive death and diagnosis benefits. Available at an affordable premium, a single premium the Covid2019 rider is available with non-linked products to customers looking to protect themselves against the ongoing pandemic.
Max Life director and CMO Aalok Bhan said, “Over the past few months, Covid-19 has created unique circumstances for all of us. The pandemic has not only affected us mentally and physically but also brought its own set of financial challenges. At Max Life, ensuring financial protection has always been at the heart of all endeavors. Through the means of our latest ad campaign, we want to reinforce, especially to the millennial audiences, the importance of term life insurance as the most fundamental and cost-effective form of financial protection during such times. By teaming with the dynamic team of Royal Challengers Bangalore, we aim to encourage their wider millennial fanbase to safeguard their family from life’s hardships. By staying invested in a comprehensive term insurance plan one can lead through the tough times with #ProtectionFrontFootPe.”
Déjà Vu Productions director Neelay Shah said, “I found the script to be the right balance of substance and humor which helped me deliver a positive message in the execution of the creative, a first for a life insurance brand."
Adding to the launch, Sonal Dabral, who worked on the script said, “Like cricket, our lives too are full of unforeseen challenges and what better example of it than Covid-19. Reflecting on the need for greater financial preparedness to tide over times like these, Max Life’s latest campaign goes on to establish that in the game of life, it is imperative to gear up well by calculating risks, not just physical but also financial. It aims to inspire the audiences to embrace financial protection in the form of term insurance for the financial protection of loved ones during current times.”
In addition to the television commercial, the ad film is being effected via digital media. The campaign is being further leveraged across print mediums through a series of interesting visuals.
