Mumbai: Hyundai Motor India announced an exciting and adrenaline packed collaboration with Red Bull for the inaugural Red Bull Urban Downhill. Red Bull Urban downhill is a high-speed mountain biking event wherein athletes engage in a downhill adventure course with various obstacles and high jump ramps along the course. The event is set to take place in Aizwal, Mizoram, in March 2024. This marks the first collaboration between Hyundai Motor India and Red Bull in India, bringing together the dynamic worlds of automotive innovation and extreme sports.
Commenting on the announcement, Hyundai Motor India AVP & vertical head, marketing, Virat Khullar said, “This association is the perfect amalgamation of Hyundai Motor India’s outdoorsy spirit with Red Bull’s energetic spirit. This partnership aligns with a common cohort that is enthusiastic, fun loving and outgoing. On a path to creating benchmarks with a new age audience, I am confident that ‘Urban-Downhill’ will mark a new chapter in our exciting journey.”
Renowned as one of the elite performers in the mountain bike 4X discipline, Red Bull Athlete Tomáš Slavík boasts a string of world titles that affirm his status among the cycling elite. Sharing his excitement about the groundbreaking urban downhill project in Aizwal, Slavík said, “I am thrilled to have been part of the first-of-its-kind urban downhill project in Aizwal. Exploring challenging routes and breathtaking views during my time there was truly exhilarating. The content is tailor-made for the Indian audience, igniting the spirit of adventure and undoubtedly inspiring young bikers. I eagerly anticipate the response to this video.”
Smriti Mandhana, the left-handed batswoman living the dreams of every young Indian, applauds the collaboration between two of her favourite brands, Red Bull and Hyundai. Witnessing Tomas effortlessly executing tricks during his downhill descent, she said, “The collaboration between Hyundai and Red Bull marks an exciting journey into the world of adventure. I am thrilled to see the incredible feats captured in the documentary, showcasing how Tomas Slavík’s skills seamlessly blend with the spirit of adventure. It highlights the prowess of both brands in pushing the boundaries of exploration.” Hailing from the Sangli district in Maharashtra, this Red Bull Athlete, like most youngsters in India, grew up dreaming of donning the country’s cricket colours.
Red Bull Urban Downhill, an extreme mountain biking sport, is an event that has been organised across various countries and has garnered high engagement from audiences across the globe with majority engagement coming from India on digital platforms for the event. Recognizing the growing fan base for mountain biking, especially in the Northeast region of India, Hyundai and Red Bull are excited to introduce this thrilling sport to Indian enthusiasts. The event, titled “Red Bull Urban Downhill Tlang Ruam, Aizwal,” aims to act as a catalyst for the sport’s growth in India.
Hyundai and Red Bull’s commitment to nurture the local interest in extreme sports is evident through the engaging content created in collaboration with Tomas Slavik, a celebrated mountain biking professional and a UCI 4X World Champion. Thomas recently visited India and created an engaging documentary. An engaging companion on this journey for Thomas was Hyundai’s Venue N Line which brings together the perfect balance of motorsport inspired styling and technology that add thrill to every drive. The documentary along with action clips will be shared on various social media platforms to generate excitement leading up to the Red Bull Urban Downhill Tlang Ruam, Aizwal slated to happen in March 2024.
Mumbai: RCB women’s team captain and Indian women’s cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana shared her perspectives on the potential impact of a multi-city format for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) while speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India in Bengaluru last week.
While reflecting on the success of the WPL, Smriti Mandhana expressed enthusiasm for the prospect of adopting a multi-city format at the first-of-its-kind summit that brought together influential leaders from various industries to delve into the future of sports. “It would be great to have WPL in the multi-city format. I think that might be the next step and I am sure the people right here would look into it and make it happen. As an RCB fan, I would love to play in Chinnaswamy where people are chanting ‘RCB RCB’ and just to be in that environment. That is something which is one step ahead for us that it (multi-city format) can reach to places where women’s cricket hasn’t reached and to get new audience going into women’s cricket,” Mandhana commented.
The 27-year-old believes that the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India was a much-needed platform to understand how different business people look at sports as a platform to generate digital numbers and feels the event should happen more often to interact with other sports icons and business top brass.
Ahead of the WPL auction and the second season of the tournament, RCB’s captain Mandhana revealed the importance of a conducive environment that the franchise has prepared and she will prioritise the time she spends with the team. “A lot of thoughts have gone into what kind of combinations we need in terms of releases or retention. So we are looking forward to the WPL auctions and hopefully, we get the players who we are looking forward to getting,” added Mandhana.
Speaking on the growth of women’s sports in India, Mandhana highlighted the remarkable achievements of women athletes in recent years. She emphasized the cultural shift, saying, “Women in India are doing amazing stuff in the last five to 10 years not only in women’s cricket but in women’s sport in general. If you see the last Olympics or Commonwealth or Asian Games, the kind of medals women’s athletes have gone and got for the country is a big inspiration for a lot of smaller city girls out there to pursue their passion. I think women’s sports in general should be treated separately and by doing that they can definitely sell a lot of things in terms of the ticketing or the digital rights.”
When asked about the areas women’s cricket needs in terms of further investment or further focus to keep propelling forward, Mandhana suggested focusing on the grassroots level.
“The only thing that we could invest in is the grassroots level of women’s sport in general because a lot of interest is developed with the Indian Women’s team or the WPL tournament. Invest more so that we get a lot more cricketers women cricketers,” she remarked.
Drawing inspiration from women athletes in international sports, Mandhana revealed her admiration for Alex Morgan in women’s FIFA and acknowledged Serena Williams’ monumental achievements in tennis as her source of motivation.
Mumbai: PNB MetLife, one of India’s leading life insurance companies, is partnering with cricket sensation Smriti Mandhana to bring its message of ‘Karo Bade Sapno Ki Tayyari’ to every Indian. Her association with the brand is aimed to inspire and encourage customers to continue to dream big, whilst securing their dreams through PNB MetLife.
PNB MetLife’s new brand ambassador is an iconic figure in Indian cricket, renowned for her explosive batting prowess. Smriti is a two-time ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and Arjuna Award recipient. Her journey embodies the values of perseverance, trust, and discipline that drive PNB MetLife to become a trusted life insurance partner for every Indian.
PNB MetLife India Insurance Co Ltd managing director and CEO Ashish K Srivastava expressed his enthusiasm for this significant partnership. He stated, “We are pleased to welcome Smriti Mandhana to the PNB MetLife family. Her dedication to the sport and exceptional performance on the field is an inspiration to fans to work hard and dream big. Through this partnership, PNB MetLife hopes to inspire all Indians to dream big and enable them to do so by securing their future.”
Smriti Mandhana also shared her excitement about this collaboration. “I’m truly honoured to be joining hands with PNB MetLife as their brand ambassador. Just as cricket presents unexpected challenges and opportunities, and one needs to be prepared at all times, it’s best to be prepared for the ups and downs in life. I believe that life insurance can act as a valuable tool to navigate through life’s innings smoothly. And I’m excited to collaborate with PNB MetLife and spread awareness to others about the importance of planning and securing their financial future.”
Mumbai: A bit of a context on where we are. Hyundai in India has been a strong number to play over the last 25 years, we’ve been pioneering and doing a lot of new-age innovations in our cars, not only from a design point of view, making them more and more futuristic or cutting edge, but also getting in features and technologies that have wowed the Indian consumers. One of the biggest mantras that we ever had, is getting newer and newer, passive and active customer safety features in our cars. That could be the connected SUV we launched in 2019. That could be some of the new-age safety features we launched in the Creta in 2020. It’s coming in a lot of cars starting last year and coming into two more cars this year. But the aim ultimately is safety for all or democratizing safety across all 13 models of Hyundai in India. And I think the inflexion point came on the first of October this year when we took the bold and I think very progressive step of standardizing six airbags on 13 cars, each and every version that will be produced in India after the first of October. Also, at the same time, our flagship sedan the Hyundai Verna got a five-star global ncap safety rating, making it the safest sedan in the country. So, I think safety is one of the most important key buying factors for car consumers in India. Such progressive proactive steps actually give us the right positioning for the consumer to not only consider but also consume our product. So, it’s a good point, marketing came around and made a colloquial, nice campaign around it that not only touched. people from a World Cup point of view, but also ‘6 hai toh safe hai’, if it is six and it is a very simple USP that we have gone across mediums in our large campaign from the first of October.
Indiantelivision.com in conversation with Hyundai Motor India Ltd AVP & vertical head, marketing Virat Khullar.
Edited Excepts:
On conceptualising and strategising this campaign ‘6 hai tho safe hai’
We have actually gone on TV, digital and print, these are the three mediums that we chose on TV. It’s the largest chunk of our media mix that also covers other entertainment and news across the country We are principal partners on KBC and BIGG BOSS. For the ICC World Cup, we have taken CTV because that is a nice niche, premium audience that you can get at with high frequency and good recall. We’ve taken CTV on the ICC World Cup on digital, it is a strong top funnel and a performance running for about 45 days on the first week of October, including some impact takeovers that we’ve done on the print campaign. we have done some interesting strategic placements, we have taken the day after the India match, which is the sports page of the key dailies.
So, when the sports page covers the glorious stuff that India has done the previous night, we’ve got a half page below that says ‘6 Hai tho safe hai” and it’s very interesting. I would not say we have gone above a threshold, but we have gone on a threshold on TG and reached across three mediums and very decent recall coming at our showrooms as we speak. So, this is kind of envisaged result of the campaign making it more topical on cricket but running it across key mediums for us.
Was it that really thought-out strategy key and launched just as the World Cup was started
So, it’s both sides. It was supposed to be launched on the first of October; the World Cup was coming on the fifth of October. So, it was a coincidence that we came to know three months in advance, I would not say I came to know a month in advance. Around that time, we started to basically try to make it as topical as possible. Cricket will last 45 days it will not last beyond that. But in these 14 days, can we have a first-mover advantage and make it a very high recall campaign? So yes, the campaign was definitely strategized to make it as simple as to bring a smile to the consumer’s face and relate to what we are trying to say.
Any chances of making any more made-in-India vehicles for the Indian market
All our cars obviously are produced here, the Hyundai Verna was the first made-in-India product to get a global rating. That’s what happened on the first of October when the five-star adult and child safety occupant rating came for the first time on a Hyundai India-made car. That’s the only difference. But obviously, we have produced and manufactured 13 models from the country for more than 25 years.
On the current post-pandemic automobile market, the types of cars are most popular and are electric vehicles gaining prominence over traditional petrol and diesel cars
So it’s not correct for me to talk about the overall industry but what is important for us is that we’ve got the World Car of the Year 2022 Ionicq 5, which we launched in December last year, and basically brought to the market at the Delhi Motor Show in January 2023 This year we have got a very exciting response, it is the top of the line marquee product for us and the most expensive product in our portfolio, we have got a very strong consumer response, we’ve got a new segment of consumers coming in buying the product.
So, from our portfolio point of view, the Ioniq 5 which is one of our marquee, EV products, also has one of the most advanced features from low technology charging capabilities in less than 20 minutes range above 550 to 600 km. So, these kinds of full electric benefits Hyundai launched with Ioniq 5 in January this year. So, we are very happy with the response that we have got on the right product for India. I would not be able to comment overall on the EV market. But yes, for us the Ioniq 5 stories are a very bright spot by entering the right car at the right time in the Indian market.
On seeing a rise in car buying or vehicle buying post the pandemic
Yes, there is a very strong uptake in the overall industry post-pandemic there is no doubt about that. The market overall remains robust with almost eight to nine percent growth even this year. So, from that point of view, there is a good amount of consumption happening across the industry. Hyundai has also been doing very well on some of its marquee products like the Hyundai Creta, Hyundai Venue and even the Hyundai Verna. So, we are seeing stronger consumer consumption of fully loaded products also. So, things like automatic transmissions things like sunroofs are becoming a much higher percentage of our vehicle sales, which means that the consumer is looking at something beyond basic mobility they are looking at connected cars. We launched the first connected product in the middle of 2019 and they now have more than 4.2 lakh connected cars on the Indian roads which is the largest vehicle park since that time. So that means the adoption of a lot more features is coming in by the New Age Indian consumer, which is a very interesting trend that we are seeing from our product point of view.
On whether TV and digital help you reach a larger audience
Yes, today we are looking at TV helping us reach a larger audience. Some of the reach that is getting delivered by GEC specifically, is a large audience no doubt. But yes, we cannot ignore the ecosystems of CTV we cannot ignore the ecosystem of digital reach. But for us, TV is still the prime medium and we are getting a good resonance and reach coming from our TV buyers.
On your idea of an ideal mix of your marketing spent
We are looking at all our campaigns as being at least TV plus digital. The addition of a print or an outdoor comes depends on the scale of the campaign, but we will definitely have TV plus digital. In the very recent past we have done digital-only launches for the Hyundai Venue, we launched with a, very strong digital-only plan that has also had very decent success when the car was launched. It is a TV plus digital plan.
Digital today in the overall mix for my media is 29 to 30 per cent for this year. That is a strong number because we are still in a very high involvement category. Our spends on digital are very strongly top funnel and a little bit lesser on the bottom funnel. But, it’s a 29 to 30 per cent mix for this year. All plans are TV plus digital because we target different kinds of TGS and different kinds of frequencies on both sides. But it is obviously an integrated plan. But the aim is what will be the kind of property we will take on OTT, CTV and TV is something that is programmed based on the product we are launching, on the budget of the product that we are launching. But yes, it will remain TV plus digital always.
On the ROI on this campaign and reason behind choosing celebrities. So what is it to get more eyeballs into the campaign
I will take the second part of your question first, so from a celebrity point of view, we have brand ambassadors, but the ‘6 hai to safe hai’ campaign did not have brand ambassadors on mainline media. We took the support of Smriti, Jemimah, and Shafali who are the woman cricketers on their social feeds, specifically, but if you see the three TVCs it does not feature our brand ambassadors. We’ve gone strongly with the message and strongly with the topicality of cricket. From an ROI point of view without giving very specific numbers, I can only tell you that the click-throughs that we have got on this campaign or one of the highest. What is important to note is the positive sentiment, we measure positive sentiment through online reputation management. Due to the nature of the action, proactively standardizing safety on all our cars. We have got very good positive sentiment across social platforms. That simply means that the engagement is one of the highest on a corporate campaign we have seen so far.
A. Driving marketing metrics. It is giving me the returns on the campaign objectives you have taken.
B. It is driving conversations in showrooms.
It’s a good full-funnel impact that we see so far. In our highly cluttered market to have a campaign getting a full funnel response is very, very exciting. So yeah, you believe a simple message in a topical environment has given us good returns so far.
As you said safety is been the prime importance for all your vehicles, how does it resonate with your consumers
Safety, as I said in the beginning is one of the key bind factors for cars in India. This proactive announcement made by us over the new HP features on safety we have been launching on our cars actually just adds to the image of the brand in the country. My brand help metrics and my online monitoring tell me that being a safer car manufacturer across the range, democratizing Safety for all is actually adding a very good, positive sheen to the brand as, as I’m speaking right now because we are actually monitoring it on a week-to-week basis. You’re absolutely right, it has been 25 days into the campaign. I think a very strong action taken by the brand, and then the campaign delivering have a very strong reach and engagement to what you wanted to do. So yes, it’s exciting times. We had a very big launch in June and July with the extra new segment and the car is doing very well for us. We had the top-of-the-line, EV coming in January, which has given us some very positive cues on the EV side of things. And with the safety story getting an inflexion point on the first of October. We are in the right space from a consumer mind point of view.
Mumbai: Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd, a leading Indian lubricant manufacturer, launched a campaign for their product Gulf Pride Scooter Plus engine oil, featuring cricketing sensation Smriti Mandhana. This campaign seeks to effectively promote the product while also portraying Gulf as a brand with a human touch, addressing real-life consumer needs with a touch of humor.
At the heart of the campaign lies the enticing value proposition of ‘Insta Zoom’ offered by Gulf Pride Scooter Plus. Gulf has astutely recognized the need for speed and efficiency in our fast-paced lives, resonating with a wide audience and making the product proposition instantly relatable. Mandhana’s popularity, her girl-next-door persona, and her influence cut across demographics, allows Gulf to reach a diverse audience. Her association with the campaign not only lends credibility but also adds a personal touch that resonates with consumers.
Gulf Oil Lubricants marketing head Amit Gheji shared his perspective on this campaign, stating, “The campaign highlights Gulf Oil India’s unwavering commitment to delivering superlative products and experiences to our valued customers. This campaign serves as a testament to our capacity to comprehend and address tangible consumer needs while ensuring the content remains engaging and relatable. We take pride in our collaboration with Smriti Mandhana, leveraging her immense star power to connect with a diverse audience.”
Gulf engaged influencers in the pre-launch phase to generate significant buzz. The placement of influencers holding placards with the question, “Smriti aapka scooter milega kya?” not only piqued curiosity but also created a sense of anticipation among the audience. This approach humanised the campaign and engaged potential customers in a relatable manner.
The campaign’s film highlights Gulf as a brand that comprehends and addresses real-life issues, a quality that deeply connects with consumers. The incorporation of humor added a touch of familiarity and engagement, making the campaign endearing and memorable.
This campaign for Gulf Pride Scooter Plus is a seamless fusion of a compelling value proposition with the star power of Smriti Mandhana which enabled Gulf to capture the hearts and minds of a diverse and discerning audience. With this campaign, Gulf not only showcased Pride Scooter Plus but also solidified its position as a brand that comprehends and addresses real-world needs with a distinctly human touch.
Mumbai: Wrangler has announced the launch of its new brand campaign titled “What Shapes You, Makes You”. The campaign features Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women’s cricket team and one of its most prolific batters.
Wrangler is investing heavily during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to build greater awareness and consideration among consumers in India. The campaign highlights the enduring relationship between Smriti and her Wrangler denim emphasizing that investing in Wrangler is essentially investing in a part of oneself. Smriti is an adventurous person and is always ready to take risks, make moves and embraces courage which is what Wrangler stands for. The iconic denim brand’s campaign is built around the insight that searching through our old wardrobe makes us feel nostalgic. Occasionally, we find a piece of clothing that immediately reminds us of how far we have come in life. While we may have forgotten it at the back of our wardrobe, we haven’t forgotten how it makes us feel – it’s a conduit that keeps us grounded and in touch with our passions. It’s what shapes us, makes us.
The brand campaign film will run on Disney+Hotstar and digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Commenting on the campaign, ace turtle CEO Nitin Chhabra said, “We are delighted to launch the new brand campaign with Smriti Mandhana for Wrangler during the Men’s Cricket World Cup that coincides with India’s festive season. This campaign marks a new chapter, aiming to inspire individuals, especially the youth, to embrace their unique journey and aspirations, and is a testament to Wrangler’s enduring legacy and its vision for the future. We are confident that the campaign will help to build on Wrangler’s brand equity and help us drive more footfalls at our retail stores and traffic on online channels. We aim to significantly grow Wrangler’s business in India by the end of the current fiscal year.”
Expressing her excitement, Smriti Mandhana said, “My Wrangler journey has been a special one, capturing my growth and experiences. From the denim that’s been with me since my early cricket days to what it represents today, this campaign captures my journey in parallel to the continued legacy of the brand. Wrangler stands for resilience, adaptability and authenticity which are qualities I admire and work towards. I’m excited to share this connection, inspiring others to embrace their unique journeys, both in sports and life.”
Sharing the marketing perspective, ace turtle CMO Lokesh Kataria said, “Our objective is to bring out the association between Wrangler and Smriti Mandhana with an integrated communication approach, driving greater consideration for the brand. The What Shapes You, Makes You campaign becomes our means to show this resilience through a pair of denim that have endured with Smriti Mandhana – being a constant, and shaping her to what she is today. We aim to highlight how investing in a Wrangler is investing in a relationship that becomes an integral part of our consumers, and ultimately defines them. As we unveil this seven-week campaign coinciding with the Cricket World Cup 2023, we delve into a rich backstory of innovation and consumer engagement.”
ace turtle is the exclusive licensee of Wrangler in India and other South Asian markets. It has expanded Wrangler’s physical retail store network across India with 53 stores operational currently and many more in the pipeline. Wrangler is currently available at exclusive brand outlets and leading departmental store chains such as Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons and Centro among others. The iconic denim brand is also available online at its dedicated webstore www.wrangler.in along with popular online marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio, Tatacliq and Nykaa.
Mumbai: Modern fine jewellery maison Her Story has made a mark at this year’s Red Dot awards, one of the most prestigious global design awards, respected internationally as a touchstone of good design. The brand brought home the Red Dot Award for Brands and Communication Design 2023, celebrating creative thought, impact and the seamless integration of a powerful concept across touchpoints. This win is particularly noteworthy as it positions a young modern Indian brand’s in-house efforts towards aesthetic and conceptual excellence ahead of some of the world’s top advertising agencies and global brand campaigns. On 3 November 2023, winners will be celebrated in Berlin at the Red Dot Gala, while their work will be published in the Red Dot International Yearbook – Brands and Communication Design. The award-winning brands and creative works are also presented to a wide audience in exhibitions at the Museum für Kommunikation in Berlin and the Red Dot Design Museum Essen. Other exhibition locations include the Red Dot Design Museums in Xiamen and Singapore.
The meticulous evaluation process for the Red Dot Distinction for the Advertising, Integrated Communication category, which had over 9,000 entries from more than 50 countries, included the criteria: originality and creativity, design quality and innovation, and impact and emotional significance. The Modern Perspectives campaign (2022-2023) opened up a dialogue on modernity and questioned stereotypes, gender-assigned roles and expectations. It celebrated the perspectives of modern women through the stories of five inspiring personalities – Anoushka Shankar, Smriti Mandhana, Kalki Koechlin, Twinkle Khanna, and Sobhita Dhulipala, capturing aspects of women that are often challenged by constructs of society. The campaign brought alive their personalities, showcasing keywords and ideas that resonate with them, through black-and-white and colour portraits and authentic visual storytelling that allowed audiences an intimate look at each woman’s real-life thoughts.
Each woman answered a question, contextualised to her own life. How does one achieve ‘balance’, as women are expected to ‘perfectly’ handle multiple roles; what does ‘freedom’ mean to a woman in different aspects of her life and in various societies? Who defines ‘ambition’, and what does ‘tradition’ mean to a woman who considers herself a global citizen? And in it all, we celebrate the beauty of choice of the modern woman.
Launched at the close of November 2022 leading to the opening to the brand’s one-of-a-kind flagship at Kala Ghoda, Mumbai, as a combination of a ‘teaser’ and ‘reveal’ campaign, Modern Perspectives caught the attention of consumers through five questions without immediately unveiling the identities of the five women. The intent was to create a moment of intrigue and introspection. The treatment of the campaign was unique in the brand’s decision not to counter those stereotypes with a stance of its own, but rather extend a seemingly simple question – so that every woman may discover her own answers in the context of her own life.
Brand director Sitanshi Talati-Parikh, who conceptualised and directed the campaign said, “As a meaningful brand, it was important for us to open up a dialogue on modern values, with subtlety as well as depth, and without presumptions. It has been wonderful to receive global validation on the concept, execution and emotional significance from an award that is truly respected and coveted by the creative minds of the world. What really brought home the award to us, though, were the voices of people who shared how the campaign impacted them in their lives. How it made them think, and made them question fundamental modern values that we often don’t stop to consider. To have made a difference in the way someone thinks, to have impacted someone’s life in a positive way, is what is truly humbling and gratifying.”
The impact of the campaign extended across an array of touchpoints. From prominent billboards in Mumbai and thought-provoking conversations on digital platforms, to luxury media coverage, meaningful events with the faces of the campaign, and a synergy with the brand’s own editorial-style communication, Modern Perspectives left an indelible mark – forging a meaningful connection with a diverse audience.
Mumbai: Havells India has started a video series #LetsEndDarkness (LED) Talks under a newly launched campaign, celebrating inspiring stories of people who have eliminated darkness from their lives despite obstacles and challenges.
Content partner by Unhide and conceptualised by Netter, the campaign features five inspiring real-life influencers who overcame the dusk and triumphed in their lives.
The central concept that lies behind the campaign idea is that with determination, individuals can rise to their fullest potential despite the challenges they face and grow beyond the constraints of their current circumstances.
The five influencers who will be a part of this campaign video are: India women’s cricketer, Smriti Mandhana, who has established herself in a sport that is primarily known to be male-dominated. Athlete Deepa Malik, who became the first Indian woman to compete in the Paralympic Games. Photographer Vicky Roy, a ragpicker at New Delhi railway station who ran away from home, studied photography and eliminated darkness from his life. Dr. Ruth John Paul, who took birth in a male body with a feminine spirit and transformed herself. She has worked her way up to become the first doctor at India’s first transgender clinic. Pooja Dasgupta, a single parent, who has overcome her unhappy marriage. Dasgupta raised her child single-handedly and emerged stronger despite the unforeseen challenges.
The campaign video begins with a black screen with a voiceover of the influencer in the backdrop and moves on to a frame of light and illumination where they begin narrating their story. The videos are shot in long-form stories for the website and in a crisper short format for social media channels. The video series will run for six weeks on all social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and will be amplified on digital platforms.
Commenting on the launch of the new campaign, Marketing Havells India executive vice president Rohit Kapoor said, “The campaign thought of “LED Talks” aims at taking the high ground and thought leadership in the category, which is above product and feature-based advertising. We are proud that the first campaign video amplified by Smriti Mandhana on her Instagram handle has already garnered more than 1,18,000 likes.”
“The campaign is another step towards creating remarkable storytelling that will help coherently communicate the brand’s narrative for change with LED (light-emitting diode) to a completely different proposition where the three letters of ‘LED’ stand for “Let’s End Darkness,”” he added.
Havells India president & SBU head Parag Bhatnagar added, “With the new “LED Talks” campaign, we want to spread positivity among people and hope that they resonate with it in a powerful yet humble way. The campaign establishes real-life victory testimonies that people have achieved despite obstacles and hardship owing to their valour. A core message of ‘enlightenment within’ has been used in the campaign with a strong emotional and socially responsible message. We are hopeful that people will be inspired by the new campaign and feel motivated to achieve their aspirations.”
Mumbai: India loves cricket with 90 per cent of most watched sports broadcasts in the country being live cricket. Sony Sports, a leading sports broadcaster, is going to bring 1800+ hours of live cricket on television screens starting from June till February 2023.
Sony Sports has recently launched its cricket campaign for the year led by Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana and actor Pankaj Tripathi. The ‘Non-stop cricket on Sony Sports Network’ kickstarts with the broadcast of the India tour of Ireland and England.
In the previous year, the sports broadcaster set new viewership records with its back-to-back programming of marquee sporting events including Olympics Games Tokyo 2020, UEFA EURO 2020, and Copa America.
Sony Sports, once again, hopes to ride the momentum of its back-to-back cricket calendar comprising India and non-India cricket, women’s cricket and T20i tournaments to garner viewership and attract advertiser attention.
Leading the sports and distribution verticals for Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India, Rajesh Kaul is responsible for invigorating the sports business at SPN and the acquisition of marquee sports properties for the network.
He also drives international sales for the network in collaboration with the digital team to expand SPN’s brand presence and lead across the world. Under his leadership, the SPN distribution has been expanding rapidly.
Kaul joined the SPN in 2008. He began his career with ICI Paints and thereon moved on to Modi Entertainment Network. He joined ESPN Star Sports in 1997 and sharpened his leadership skills at the organisation for over 11 years. Rajesh played a vital role in creating the success story of ESPN Star Sports, heading their distribution and marketing nationally, and was credited with the successful launch of Star Cricket.
In conversation with Indiantelevision.com, Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul speaks about Sony Sports strong sports programming line-up and the business and marketing strategy to maximise eyeballs and revenues.
On the diverse line-up of live cricket for the year 2022
With each passing year we add more credibility and variety to our sports line up and this year the Sony Sports Network will be home to 1800+ hours of cricket. In addition to the marquee India tour of England, which has one historic Test match pending, the team also plays 3 T20i’s and 3 ODI’s in England. This will take place between India playing in Ireland and India playing in Zimbabwe. In addition to this action-packed calendar of Indian men’s cricket, we also have the women’s team touring England and an enviable bilateral cricket calendar featuring England vs New Zealand, Australia vs South Africa, Sri Lanka vs Australia, England vs South Africa, Australia vs England and more along with popular T20i tournaments like the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League and Women’s Big Bash League.
On the amplification strategy of the sports network
Love for cricket knows no boundaries and this is what we have showcased through this campaign. To that end, we have crafted this ‘Non – Stop Cricket’ campaign featuring a very differentiated star Pankaj Tripathi, India’s most loved actor and Smriti Mandhana, Indian women team’s opening batter. Our sports network has been known for creating thought provoking and meaningful campaigns such as ‘Meri Doosri Country’, ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’, ‘Sona Mana Hai’ amongst others and this campaign, conceptualised through the creative partnership of our inhouse team and Scarecrow M&C Saatchi Advertising Agency, aims to break the clutter by bringing a leading woman cricketer to promote men’s and women’s cricket.
On beating the viewership records set in 2021
2021 was a landmark year for Sony Sports Network. In this milestone year, we hosted marquee sporting events such as the Olympics Games Tokyo 2020, UEFA EURO 2020, and Copa America, which helped us attract the highest ever ratings. Viewership impressions on TV for UEFA EURO 2020 were more than double of the previous edition, whereas ratings for Copa America & Olympics Games Tokyo 2020 grew by 59 per cent and 23 per cent respectively (BARC, All India U+R, All Audience, LIVE match Impressions on TV).
In 2022, we ride on an action-packed cricket calendar with 1800+ hours of cricketing action on our network. Cricket has always been a bestseller in our country and with the new era of Rohit Sharma and Ben Stokes’ captaincy in the upcoming India tour of England, there is a lot to look forward to on Sony Sports Network. Along with cricket, we also have football properties like UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, Bundesliga and much more. In addition to these we also have WWE and UFC action through the year, Grand Slam tennis action with the recently concluded Roland Garros, as well as domestic leagues like Prime Volleyball League and the upcoming Ultimate Kho Kho tournament.
On its association with advertisers
Cricket has always been a major crowd puller and advertisers have always shown interest in various bilateral series, T20 leagues and international tournaments. Our campaign for our cricket calendar which includes India and non-India cricket, women’s cricket and T20i tournaments has attracted the interest of advertisers. Apart from that, team India’s remaining Test against England is seen as an attractive proposition due to its high value. This will be followed by limited overs’ T20i and ODI series which will mark the beginning of a new era of Rohit Sharma and Ben Stokes’ captaincy. Taking into consideration the importance of the series, we have already received a positive response from the advertisers.
Mumbai: Games24x7’s fantasy platform, My11Circle, has partnered with Women’s T20 Challenge 2022 as the official title sponsor. The four-day tournament is currently underway at MCA Stadium in Pune. The company has surfaced snippets featuring candid moments with the three-team captains – Harmanpeet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and Smriti Mandhana.
For 2022, the Women’s T20 Challenge will include four games from 23 May to 28 May. The video bites capture the enthusiasm and excitement of the team captains of Trailblazers, Velocity, and Supernovas for the T20 League.
Games24x7 co-founder and co-CEO Bhavin Pandya said, “We are very excited to be title sponsors of the upcoming Women’s T20 Challenge 2022. One of the most endearing developments in the cricket world in the last few years is the growing popularity of women’s cricket. This contest, which will feature some of the finest cricketers in world cricket, will give a further fillip to the rising popularity of women’s cricket, and will offer immense excitement to fans and supporters of the game of cricket worldwide.”
