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Tag: Thums Up

  • Thumbs up asks people to #TakeCharge

    Thumbs up asks people to #TakeCharge

    MUMBAI: As the new Thums Up Charged makes it way to shelves across India, Coca-Cola India has launched a new campaign called, #TakeCharge featuring ever-energetic actor and Thums Up brand ambassador Ranveer Singh.

    The new campaign builds further on Thums Up’s unique expression of masculinity and belief that heroism is a choice for us to make and an opportunity to take. The campaign conveys that for any challenge that demands heroic action, the hero needs to get charged to rise up to that occasion.

    The TVC opens to an international car race event where the protagonist is seen ready to hit the track in his car which is inscribed with the ThumsUp Charged logo. Focused on victory, with his ThumsUp Charged by his side, he starts manoeuvring his way past the other cars. Just as he’s about to take the lead, the car in front of him loses control and brings our car to a halt. Shaken but determined, the protagonist takes a gulp of his ThumsUp Charged and sets off to finish the race. As he charges ahead and victory is almost in sight, his gearbox jams. Epitomising the ‘Never Give Up Ever’ attitude, he puts his car in reverse and races to victory in a photo-finish.

    ThumsUp Charged is the first-ever variant of Thums Up that was recently launched by Coca-Cola India to celebrate 40 years of Thums Up. The company will be rolling out a series of initiatives including consumer-led engagement campaigns along with exciting marketing campaigns with its brand ambassadors through digital, social, traditional, and outdoor media channels.

    Coca-Cola India and South West Asia Director, Colas marketing Ajay Bathija says, “ThumsUp TVCs are all about seeking thrill, adventure, exhilaration and excitement and Ranveer Singh as a brand ambassador embodies all of that perfectly. The ‘#TakeCharge’ campaign is about taking the controls of life in one’s hands and overcoming adversities by not giving up hope. Our TVC captures this attitude and we are confident that the campaign will resonate well with all Thums Up lovers.”

    Actor Ranveer Singh mentions, “I distinctly remember when I first tasted toofani Thums Up and since then it has become my favourite cola. It’s an honour to be the face of this brand. The ‘Take Charge’ campaign is very close to my heart as I constantly push boundaries and don’t believe in quitting when a challenge is thrown my way. Challenges keep me going in life and make me strive harder to achieve my goals. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the campaign; it was an invigorating experience to perform as a car-racer.”

    Leo Burnett creative head Sainath Saraban adds, “ThumsUp Charged has an extra thunder in it just the kind of push that somebody needs to take his or her achievement to the next level. Even though the story is set in a massive car race that makes for grand theatre, it is an intensely personal journey about how a huge victory starts within your own self. When I wrote this film, I wanted to leave the viewer with a message that worked at a product level and was inspirational as well. If there’s one thing we want people to do after being exposed to this communication, it is to take charge.”

    #TakeCharge is a 360-degree campaign that will leverage mass-media on larger-than-life outdoor sites in the core markets of the product. The campaign also leverages key social media platforms of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

  • Rajeev Sharma moves on from Leo Burnett

    Rajeev Sharma moves on from Leo Burnett

    MUMBAI: After spending more than 23 years at the agency, Leo Burnett national planning director Rajeev Sharma has decided to move on to explore newer avenues.

    Sharma joined Leo Burnett in 1994 as vice president based out of the agency’s Delhi office and after three years he moved to Mumbai to lead planning as national planning director.

    Rajeev spearheaded strategy for many brands and partnered them in their success for years together. Some of the brands he has worked on include McDonald’s, Godrej Consumer Products, Bajaj Auto, Heinz, Complan, Glucon D, Thums Up, Maaza, Minute Maid, Limca, Reebok, Ariel, Ezee, Cinthol, Bajaj Electricals, HDFC Life, HDFC Bank, Anchor, Sony Entertainment Television, Tata Capital, Dabur, Pillsbury, Iodex, etc.

    Rajeev has played a significant role in building Leo Burnett’s reputation as India’s most trusted integrated communications company that has a sharp focus on strategy. He is also instrumental in bringing Leo Burnett’s best global practices to India.

    Commenting on this development Sharma said, “After 23 years, it is time for me to bid a fond farewell to a fabulous organisation, amazing colleagues and equally amazing clients. I am proud of what the agency stands for, for what it has achieved and what it is in the process of becoming. The momentum we have gained recently will give us the scale and the capability to play a big role in the transformation the industry is going through. As I prepare for the next chapter of my life, I shall watch with great satisfaction the success Leo Burnett is sure to notch up in the future.”

    Leo Bunett CEO for South Asia Saurabh Varma added, “Rajeev set up Leo Burnett’s planning function from scratch and since then has led a robust team that has grown many brands in complex market scenarios, in the process winning many awards. Under his leadership, we produced some of the most iconic and culturally rooted campaigns by approaching consumers through a human lens. I thank Rajeev wholeheartedly and wish him the very best for his future endeavours.”

  • Rajeev Sharma moves on from Leo Burnett

    Rajeev Sharma moves on from Leo Burnett

    MUMBAI: After spending more than 23 years at the agency, Leo Burnett national planning director Rajeev Sharma has decided to move on to explore newer avenues.

    Sharma joined Leo Burnett in 1994 as vice president based out of the agency’s Delhi office and after three years he moved to Mumbai to lead planning as national planning director.

    Rajeev spearheaded strategy for many brands and partnered them in their success for years together. Some of the brands he has worked on include McDonald’s, Godrej Consumer Products, Bajaj Auto, Heinz, Complan, Glucon D, Thums Up, Maaza, Minute Maid, Limca, Reebok, Ariel, Ezee, Cinthol, Bajaj Electricals, HDFC Life, HDFC Bank, Anchor, Sony Entertainment Television, Tata Capital, Dabur, Pillsbury, Iodex, etc.

    Rajeev has played a significant role in building Leo Burnett’s reputation as India’s most trusted integrated communications company that has a sharp focus on strategy. He is also instrumental in bringing Leo Burnett’s best global practices to India.

    Commenting on this development Sharma said, “After 23 years, it is time for me to bid a fond farewell to a fabulous organisation, amazing colleagues and equally amazing clients. I am proud of what the agency stands for, for what it has achieved and what it is in the process of becoming. The momentum we have gained recently will give us the scale and the capability to play a big role in the transformation the industry is going through. As I prepare for the next chapter of my life, I shall watch with great satisfaction the success Leo Burnett is sure to notch up in the future.”

    Leo Bunett CEO for South Asia Saurabh Varma added, “Rajeev set up Leo Burnett’s planning function from scratch and since then has led a robust team that has grown many brands in complex market scenarios, in the process winning many awards. Under his leadership, we produced some of the most iconic and culturally rooted campaigns by approaching consumers through a human lens. I thank Rajeev wholeheartedly and wish him the very best for his future endeavours.”

  • CNN-IBN, Thums Up and Being Human presents VEER Season 2

    CNN-IBN, Thums Up and Being Human presents VEER Season 2

    MUMBAI: In an effort to unleash the inner potential of people with disabilities and provide them the best employment opportunities, CNN-IBN is back with its one-of-its-kind initiative ‘VEER Season 2’ in partnership with Thums Up, Being Human and American India Foundation. The show aspires to exhort and educate the citizens of India to play the role of an enabler and make people with disability discern their true potential.

     

    Started from 24th September 2015, VEER Season 2 is a campaign of strength and self-belief to generate awareness and advocate for inclusivity, accessibility and employability of people with disabilities (PwDs).  After receiving an overwhelming response for its first season, VEER in its second edition aims to drive an amount of INR 2 crores for training 2000 PwDs.

     

    In this phase of the campaign, CNN-IBN will also be associated with, the Indian government’s Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and Hans Foundation, an NGO operating in the area of empowering marginalised sector in disability space, to provide skill for training people with disabilities (PwDs). The government body and NGO, both will eminently work with the channel to train and employ the PwDs.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Mr. Radhakrishnan Nair, Managing Editor, CNN-IBN, said, “We are grateful to receive the support from Thums Up, Being Human and American India Foundation for the campaign. It is our pleasure to work on such an innovative program and we hope to receive an overwhelming response from the audience.”

     

    Debabrata Mukherjee, Vice-President Marketing and Commercial, Coca-Cola India, said, “The Thums Up philosophy of being passionate and strong is something that drives this program. Through VEER, we want to encourage all the differently abled to unleash their potential, be strong and overcome the barriers they face. We are happy with the achievements of the program in its first year and are excited about the milestones being set for the second phase, where our endeavour will be to accelerate the pace and double the deliverables of the first year.

  • U Mumba lifts PKL 2 trophy; Star India’s estimated earnings pegged at Rs 55 cr

    U Mumba lifts PKL 2 trophy; Star India’s estimated earnings pegged at Rs 55 cr

    MUMBAI: With Ronnie Scewvala’s U Mumba lifting the Pro Kabaddi League season 2 trophy, the second edition of the sport has come to an end. U Mumba won the final against Bengaluru Bulls with six points, after a nail biting match. While the winning team is celebrating, the other happy party is its official broadcaster Star India, which seems to have made moolah aplenty from the property. 

     

    Sources close to the development gave Indiantelevision.com an assessment that the broadcaster succeeded to generate revenue to the tune of Rs 55 crore.    

     

    While the native sport always had an enormous fan following in the country, what it lacked was proper packaging. When packaged in an alluring manner, the sport garnered a cumulative reach of 435 million in its debut season. In terms of viewership too, the sport managed to surprise many as it garnered annual viewership of 128 GVTs.  

     

    This year, the ratings have propelled and after 49 matches, the tourney garnered 1.25 TVRs compared to 0.81 TVRs of 2014. The average reach has also inclined from 3.74 per cent to 4.43 per cent. The time spent has gone up in the 2015 edition to 20.41 minutes compared to 16.88 minutes as per TAM Sports analysis. 

     

    While Star retained the title sponsorship with Star Sports, the broadcaster successfully roped in eight associate sponsors on board viz. TVS, VIP Frenzie, Bajaj Electricals, Thums Up, State Bank Of India, Flipkart, Government of India Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Mahindra Jeeto. On the other hand, while Radio Mirchi associated with Pro Kabaddi as radio partners, Britannia became the referee partner.

     

  • Qyuki & Coca-Cola pay tribute to Indian soldiers via short film

    Qyuki & Coca-Cola pay tribute to Indian soldiers via short film

    NEW DELHI: Qyuki Digital Media and Coca-Cola India have produced a special digital short film paying tribute to the real heroes of India – the jawans on the borders.

     

    The film follows the journey of a soldier from his military base in the north down to his home in the beautiful backwaters of Kerala. With the intention of fulfilling the final wish of a fellow soldier who died in the line of duty, he makes an emotional stop en route, to his colleague’s family home where he hands over the martyr’s belongings to them.

     

    The story traverses several situations and people that cross the soldier’s path closing with a touching moment of a family reunion. Here the film cuts to a national issue that requires the protagonist to return to his base camp.

     

    The film highlights India’s incredible landscape and its multicultural beauty, juxtaposed beautifully with the personal sacrifices a soldier makes for his country, family and friends.

     

    Razy Ghai from Asylum Films directed the film and the music was scored by Dhruv Ghanekar of Wah Wah Studios

     

    Coca-Cola India and South West Asia VP – marketing & commercial Debabrata Mukherjee said, “Thums Up has always stood for strength and a spirit of inspiration. We believe that real heroes are the ones who have inner strength and compassion. This independence day, we wanted to celebrate the protectors of our independence, the ‘True Heroes’ of our nation. We wanted to salute the sons of the soil for their undying spirit and indefatigable courage.”

     

    Mukherjee added, “It gives us great joy that the effort has received such a heartwarming response. In just 48 hours, the film has been seen over a million times on social media; a clear reflection of the nation’s love, appreciation and respect for the real heroes who keep us safe, everyday.”

     

    Qyuki co-founder and MD Samir Bangara added, “Qyuki is proud to present this film along with an iconic brand like Thums Up to salute the country’s true heroes. Having grown up as an armed forces kid, the film is that much more personal and special to me.”

     

    Ghai said, “As the son of a retired army officer, I have always wanted to give back to my roots. Soldiers are the unsung heroes of our country. I think we have managed to touch an emotional chord with this short film. The idea was to do a road film in which a responsible soldier goes on this soulful journey. The film is supported by, “Saare Jahan Se Acha” tune playing in the background to remind the viewers of what the soldiers of our country do for us.”

  • Thums Up’s tribute to real heroes of nation receives 1 million views

    Thums Up’s tribute to real heroes of nation receives 1 million views

    MUMBAI: Thums Up, India’s iconic soft drink brand marked the country’s 69th Independence Day with a tribute to the nation’s Real Heroes and the country used this film as a platform to express its love a million times within 48 hours.

     

    Set against the diverse cultural and regional canvas of India, the film captures the journey of a young Indian soldier as he travels from his military base to his home in Kerala, making one stop in his journey to the martyrs’ home to deliver the news of his martyrdom, personally. The narrative navigates through a string of anecdotal situations of various people he meets during his journey on route to the heart wrenching moment when the young soldier finally reaches the martyr’s family. The film concludes with the soldier enjoying a happy moment with his family before an alert is commissioned to all soldiers cancelling all vacations and an order to report to basecamp. Through the soldier’s journey, the film captures the diverse locations and myriad of cultures in India, while reminding the audiences about the unparalleled perseverance our brave soldiers display every day.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Debabrata Mukherjee, VP – Marketing & Commercial, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia said, “Thums Up has always stood for strength and a spirit of inspiration. We believe that real heroes are the ones who have inner strength and compassion. This independence day, we wanted to celebrate the protectors of our independence, the ‘True Heroes’ of our nation. We wanted to salute the sons of the soil for their undying spirit and indefatigable courage.

     

    He further added, “It gives us great joy that the effort has received such a heartwarming response. In just 48 hours, the film has been seen over a million times on social media; a clear reflection of the nation’s love, appreciation and respect for the real heroes who keep us safe, everyday.”

     

    Conceptualized by Qyuki Digital Media Pvt Ltd. and Asylum Films, the Digital Film and its music has been created by Dhruv Dhanekar of Wah Wah Music.

     

    Commenting on the film Samir Bangara, Co-founder and MD of Qyuki.com said, “This film is special at many levels. Both the Director, Razy Ghai and I grew up as armed forces kids and that was a big inspiration for the script and execution of the film. We are proud to be working with one of India’s most iconic brands Thums Up, to salute the true heroes of our country.”

  • Star to air Pro Kabaddi League across 8 channels in 5 languages; ropes in 10 sponsors

    Star to air Pro Kabaddi League across 8 channels in 5 languages; ropes in 10 sponsors

    MUMBAI: Kabaddi! Kabaddi! Kabaddi! The age old Indian game of Kabaddi is back on Star Sports and in its second season, the Pro Kabaddi League is bigger and better.

     

    What’s more, Star India has roped in as many as 10 sponsors for the second season, which will be telecast across eight of its channels in five languages. This time round, Star has also increased the pool of players to 25 from 14 last year.

     

    Additionally, Star is also mulling to hold the tournament twice a year, with the next tournament scheduled as early as January 2016.

     

    After creating history in the first edition by garnering cumulative reach of over 435 million, the second season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League is set to kick start from 18 July, 2015. Official broadcaster and one of the stakeholders in the tournament, Star Sports has held on to the title sponsorship in the second season too but has managed to bundle in a host of associate sponsors.

     

    The List of Sponsors:

     

    While the title sponsorship remains with Star Sports, the eight associate sponsors on board are:  TVS, VIP Frenzie, Bajaj Electricals, Thums Up, State Bank Of India, Flipkart, Government of India Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Mahindra Jeeto. On the other hand, Radio Mirchi has associated with Pro Kabaddi as radio partners, whereas Britannia is the referee partner.

     

    Star Sports head Nitin Kukreja said, “Kabaddi is back and so are the players. They are bigger, better, fitter, stronger and raring to go. We are increasing the pool of players and making it 25 this year compared to 14 of last. We have a set of international players coming in specially from Iran, which is India’s closest competitor in Kabaddi at a global level. In terms of broadcasting too we are going to reach to a larger audience this time with eight channels covering the event in five different languages. Enhanced graphics, analytics and the newly introduced in-vision commentary will make sure that the viewer experience is much more inclusive in season 2.”

     

    Kukreja further added, “At Star, we are committed to reinvent the great Indian sport of Kabaddi and set it in today’s context. The task is to make the game relevant and aspirational for the millions of young and passionate fans across India. Our objective this season is to make Star Sports Pro Kabaddi bigger and better in terms of play, broadcast and reach.”

     

    Mashal Sports director Charu Sharma, who came up with the idea after watching and covering live Kabaddi matches in 2006 Asian Games, was of the opinion that Pro Kabaddi has added ‘Pride and Respect’ to the honest and homegrown sport. He said, “The primary motive behind creating a league such as Star Sports Pro Kabaddi was to showcase the spectacular athleticism of the top players and give these players their due. The new international competitive and sophisticated face of the game, was appreciated equally by all sects of society, with an absence of a rural and urban divide. When it came to following Kabaddi, everybody was equally drawn to it. I have no doubt in my mind that armed with the continued commitment and encouragement extended by the federation, the team owners, the media and of course the Star Network, all of us can look forward to another blockbuster soon.”

     

    Broadcast expansion, Multi Lingual Feed

     

    Pro Kabaddi will reach out to a huge global audience by reaching over 109 countries. The tourney will be relayed in five different languages namely Hindi, English, Kannada, Telugu and Marathi.

     

    Revenue Model

     

    The money generated from ticketing goes to the home franchise and is the prime source of revenue for team owners. Apart from that, the revenue also comes from sponsorships as brands buy spots on various parts of the jerseys. Additionally, broadcaster Star Sports also pays a certain percentile to the franchises. The first edition of the tournament was not monetized as it was an experimental move. Moreover, Kukreja tells Indiantelevision.com that even in the second season monetization is not the prime focus, “Going forward we might explore various opportunities and launch other possible add-ons but at this point of time we want to give viewers an exquisite experience and that’s our main focus,” he said.

     

    Team Owners’ Reaction

     

    Team owners are buoyed by the progress so far. A franchise owner on condition of anonymity asserted, “Pro Kabaddi League is the most secure venture to invest in and in my opinion many have already drawn level. We will definitely break even this year. It will keep going to newer heights as Star and Mashal Sports are leaving no stones unturned. Sustainability is out of question and this year we plan to reach 60 crore (600 million) viewers. In the first year we were calling brands and pitching but this year there is a long queue waiting for us and that shows just where we’re headed.”

     

    Future roadmap

     

    Another team owner said that the tournament will be organised twice a year. “Fans won’t have to wait for one whole year anymore. The next season will be hosted in January 2016 and there are even possibilities of having a women’s Kabaddi league. So Kabaddi will no longer be a once-a-year sport. Moreover, more editions will popularize the sport and enhance participation, which automatically opens up more scope of revenue generation. So I believe we will have good time ahead if we manage to keep the flair alive and not let corruption play spoilsport.”

     

    After the unprecedented success in the first edition, it remains to be seen if Pro Kabaddi season two manages to successfully live up to expectations.

     

  • PKL 2: Star ropes in 5 associate sponsors for India; title sponsor for UK telecast

    PKL 2: Star ropes in 5 associate sponsors for India; title sponsor for UK telecast

    MUMBAI: The second season of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is all set to go on air from 18 July and Star Network is busy amassing sponsors for the same.

     

    While the network has roped in five associate sponsors for the India telecast, it is expecting to pocket a few more before the series goes on air.

     

    Moreover, Star has sealed a deal with Clearwater Solicitors, which has associated as the title sponsor for the UK telecast of PKL Season 2.

     

    As a part of its distribution strategy in the United Kingdom, Star will also air the second season of PKL on Life OK. After out-bidding competitors, Clearwater Solicitors bagged the title sponsor rights to ensure increased exposure to the UK’s South Asian community.

     

    Speaking exclusively to Indiantelevision.com, Clearwater Solicitors co-owner Yaqub Mohammed said, “Kabaddi is a popular game for the UK South Asian Community and the partners are huge Kabaddi fans. We believe the sponsorship deal will be a fantastic way to increase our exposure to the south Asian audiences in the UK.”

     

    The sponsorship deal is only for the 2015 edition and is exclusively for the UK broadcast. However, Mohammed states that there are high possibilities of an extension. “This deal is only for this season but we will look to continue our sponsorship in the future too. Star Network is the number one network and we can get increased exposure amongst the South Asian community via them,” he said.

     

    Meanwhile for the India telecast, the broadcaster has already got in five associate sponsors namely cola brand Thums Up, e-commerce giant Flipkart, innerwear apparel VIP Frenzy, automobile ventures TVS Motors and Bajaj Electrical. What’s more, apart from these, a few more brands are expected to join in before the tournament kick starts.

     

    According to a media expert, the decision to not have an external title sponsor for the India telecast is a strategic move from the broadcaster. “A title sponsor comes with a lot of other deliverables, which includes ad space too but in sport like Kabaddi there is not much room for advertisement and hence instead of getting a title sponsor and giving it a major chunk of ad space, they decided to rope in a number of associate sponsors, which is a smart move.”

     

    As per the buzz in the market, Star India is said to be quoting Rs 10 crore for the associate sponsor tag. What’s more, as per experts, given the viewership the tourney garnered in its maiden season, Star will manage to get the desired amount for sponsorship.

     

    As was previously reported by Indiantelevision.com, ad rates during the tournament for a 10 second slot will be in the range of Rs 80,000 to 90,000.

     

    The first season of PKL was telecast in 39 countries and this time the network plans to extend it further. In the first edition it garnered cumulative reach of 435 million, which bagged it the second berth in terms of most viewed sporting event in India right after Indian Premier League (IPL), which managed a reach of 560 million. Both Star and Mashal Sports expect to create viewership records in the second edition of the tournament.

     

    It now remains to be seen the number of brands Star India manages to rope in for PKL Season 2 before the games commence.

  • Sreekumar Balasubramanian joins Publicis Capital as senior VP

    Sreekumar Balasubramanian joins Publicis Capital as senior VP

    MUMBAI: Sreekumar Balasubramania, who has 19 years of experience in global marketing communications companies, has been appointed as Publicis Capital senior vice president.

     

    Balasubramanian will report in to the Publicis Capital CEO Hemant Misra.

     

    Misra said, “It’s great to have Sree in our team. His mandate will be to focus on maintaining our high standards on existing businesses as well as on new business development.”

     

    Before joining Publicis, Balasubramanian worked with W+K as Head Account Management. He also worked with other eminent agencies including Leo Burnett, Lowe, Rediffusion, Dentsu Communication among others.

     

    On his appointment Balasubramanian said, “It is always important for people to get out of their comfort zones and face new challenges and Publicis has provided me that opportunity.”

     

    “I see exceptional potential for leveraging their credentials on existing business and for growth. I look forward to being a part of this endowed team,” he added.

     

    Balasubramanian has worked on categories like food and beverages, automotive, telecom, retail and services including brands like Thums Up, Maaza, Minute Maid, Coke Studio, Eristoff vodka, AirTel, Telenor Pakistan, Matrix Cellular, Toyota Kirloskar Motors, Audi India etc.