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  • Cadbury fuse launches its new marketing campaign featuring The Great Khali

    Cadbury fuse launches its new marketing campaign featuring The Great Khali

    Mumbai: Mondelez India’s Cadbury Fuse has rolled out a new marketing campaign with WWE champion The Great Khali to support its newest ‘bhaari’ proposition.

    The new campaign “Cadbury Fuse, Bhaari Hai” aka “It’s Heavy” showcases the product as a substantial snack catering to hunger pangs throughout the day.

    To bring alive ‘Bhaari’ ness of the campaign, the brand has on boarded former WWE World HeavyWeight champion, Dalip Singh Rana aka The Great Khali.

    Setting the new proposition in action, the TVC opens with two students discussing hunger pangs hitting them through what seems like a never-ending science lecture. While all the students continue to work on their assigned tasks, one of them is seen sending out a text message seeking help. The film then cuts to a shot of The Great Khali walking in, to his rescue, revealing the Bhaari/Heavy Cadbury Fuse as he reaches the student. The ad ends with Khali feeding the student Cadbury Fuse, a snack that satisfies Bhaari Bhook.

    In addition to the TVC, the campaign is supported by high decibel digital and innovative outdoor initiatives. This includes capitalizing on the ongoing social media trend of block transition reels, select disclaimer videos on YouTube and impactful on-ground activations, all emphasizing on the ‘Bhaari’ness of the product.

    Speaking about the campaign, Mondelez India  president (marketing) Anil Viswanathan said, “The role of snacking has evolved considerably over the past couple of years. Consumers are constantly on the lookout for snacks that are not only indulgent but also filling at the same time. Our premium countline brand, Cadbury Fuse has been bridging that gap in consumers’ lives ever since its launch in 2016. With this new proposition, we aim to recapitulate Cadbury Fuse as a substantial, filling snack, that reigns in hunger pangs while providing a great taste experience. With The Great Khali on board, we are excited to see India’s favourite HeavyWeight champion help us manifest the Bhaari messaging behind the latest campaign”

    Talking about the execution and idea behind the campaign Ogilvy chief creative officers Kainaz Karmakar and Harshad Rajadhyaksha, said “In the new campaign for Cadbury Fuse we put the spotlight on what the product delivers best – it’s a bhaari snack, stuffed with peanuts, chocolate and caramel, making it the most wholesome answer to hunger. To exaggerate the ‘bhaari-ness’ we use Khali as the carrier and the feeder.”

    “The director, Abhinav Pratiman has delivered the humour just right. Khali is almost apologetic about the disruption his entry causes. The subtle chaos in the chemistry lab, the reaction of the students and the professor will make people want to see the commercial every time it plays,” they added.

    Wavemaker chief client officer head West Shekhar Banerjee added, “What you will see is the synergy of three heavyweight champions. The Great Khali, Cadbury Fuse, and power of precision content targeting. This is a very creative use of custom intent and AI driven search content, helping us in hijacking every piece of content around snacks with Khali like a bolt from the blue, establishing Fuse as a Bhaari snack.”

  • Times Professional Learning names Gaurav Barjatya as brand marketing & comms head

    Times Professional Learning names Gaurav Barjatya as brand marketing & comms head

    Mumbai: Times Professional Learning (TPL) has brought Gaurav Barjatya on board as head of brand marketing and communications. TPL is an education initiative by The Times of India Group with an aim to revolutionise professional education in India.

    Barjatya was last associated with WWE as marketing director and took care of India operations for more than two years. Previously, he also worked with Star TV Network as vice president – marketing for around eight years.

    In the past, he has also worked with Parle Agro as senior brand manager and Idea Cellular as manager – brand communications and media for more than four years.

    Barjatya has pursued his MBA from Fore School of Management, New Delhi and has completed the Star Edge – executive education programme from the Indian School of Business.

  • Sony Sports showcases untold stories of WWE superstars in new campaign

    Sony Sports showcases untold stories of WWE superstars in new campaign

    Mumbai: Sony Sports Networks has launched a new campaign called ‘WWE Superstars with Rana Daggubati’ that showcases the untold stories and heroics of WWE superstars. 

    Produced and conceptualised by Sony Sports Networks, the campaign will feature stories of ten WWE superstars narrated by South actor Rana Daggubati in English, Tamil and Telugu. These include Undertaker, John Cena, Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Bianca Belair, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, Big E, and Becky Lynch.

    The campaign is centered on the insight that there is a ‘Hero in all of us.’ While fans in India have always appreciated the WWE heroes, their lesser-known side depicted in the ten short films will further inspire the viewers.

    “The epic journeys of these WWE Superstars in the ring and beyond are too big not to be shared with our viewers,” said Sony Pictures Networks India SVP & head of marketing & on-air promotions, sports channels, Neville Bastawalla. “We embarked on a mission to bring alive inspiring stories of 10 WWE Superstars. And who best to narrate them, than our very own Mahabali, Rana Daggubati, who happens to be a big WWE fan. I am sure that viewers will get an inside look into their perseverance that will inspire them to bring out the hero in them.”

    “I have been following WWE since childhood and I am a big fan. We only see the success of our favourite superstars but rarely know the struggles and hurdles they have overcome to be where they are today. I hope these films show our viewers another side of these WWE Superstars and inspire them to never give up in the face of adversity,” added the South superstar and face of the campaign Rana Daggubati.

  • Sony Pictures Sports Network to broadcast WrestleMania 37

    Sony Pictures Sports Network to broadcast WrestleMania 37

    KOLKATA: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), the exclusive home of WWE in India, announced the broadcast destination for WrestleMania 37, the global pop-culture extravaganza featuring WWE Superstars from across Raw, SmackDown, and NXT divisions.

    This year fans across Indian sub-continent can watch the WWE Dhamaal action unfold live on 11 April and 12 April, on Sony Ten 1 (English) and Sony Ten 3 (Hindi) channels from 4.30 am IST. WrestleMania 37 will have WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan and Tampa's own WWE superstar Titus O’Neil host the two-night event emanating from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. This year’s WrestleMania is “Back in Business” and will mark the first time that fans will be in the stands for a WWE event since early March 2020.

    To celebrate the return of this electrifying event, SPSN has launched a campaign film, which celebrates the legacy of WrestleMania, entertaining multiple generations of families for years and looking forward to showcasing WWE Superstars battle to turn into ‘The Champion of Champions’. Furthermore, SPSN’s programming initiatives will make the majestic event of WWE’s calendar more accessible to fans across India through live English and Hindi commentary.

    To engage WWE fans and ensure they get a chance to express themselves, SPSN is putting together a special show ‘Live extraaa dhamaal WrestleMania’ that aims to build a community for the Indian WWE fanbase and make them feel an intrinsic part of the event. The show will have a wide range of discussion topics such as discussions on match results to possible ramifications to trending topics to social media buzz and last but not the least fan reaction to the majestic event. The 30-minute post event show will be anchored by Sahil Khattar and will also have a different WWE Superstar joining as a guest live from the venue each day.

    Sony Pictures Networks India sports business distribution head & chief revenue officer Rajesh Kaul said: “WrestleMania is the biggest special event from the WWE stable which has drawn audiences over the years, and we will reach out to a wider audience by providing WrestleMania in both English and Hindi.”

     In another important announcement, the WWE NXT brand which has been revolutionising the world of sports entertainment with innovative styles from trend-setting and unapologetic superstars will now air live on Wednesday mornings at 5:30 am in India beginning 14 April 2021. With the change in programming schedule, the passionate WWE fanbase will get more of what they love with back-to-back nights of exhilarating action. WWE NXT boasts a diverse international roster with 95 per cent of the current Raw and SmackDown roster coming through the WWE NXT talent development ranks including Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss to name a few.

  • Sony Sports launches digital initiative ‘Sony Ten WWE Live Dhamaal’ to engage fans

    Sony Sports launches digital initiative ‘Sony Ten WWE Live Dhamaal’ to engage fans

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) is bringing fans closer to their favourite WWE Superstars and Legends online with ‘Sony Ten WWE Live Dhamaal’. Streaming live on SPSN’s official Facebook page, @SonySportsIndia, WWE Superstars and Legends will take part in social chats exclusively with WWE fans in India.

    ‘Sony Ten WWE Live Dhamaal’ welcomes WWE Superstar Otis, fresh from his surprise win in the men’s Money In The Bank ladder match, from 7 pm on Thursday, 21 May.

    ‘Sony Ten WWE Live Dhamaal’ social chats on Facebook aims to captivate millions of WWE fans by establishing a deeper connection with their favourite WWE Superstars, providing a pulsating experience as they learn more about the on and off-screen lives of their heroes.

    Fans will also get an exclusive chance to ask questions and watch the WWE Superstars share inspiring personal stories, their health & fitness regimes along with quirky sessions like rapid-fire rounds as well as other live challenges among many fun activities.

    Sony Pictures Networks India head – marketing and on-air promotions, sports channels Neville Bastawalla says, “During these challenging times, we are excited that ‘Sony Ten WWE Live Dhamaal’ will create an immersive, interactive social experience for every WWE fan in India by bringing them closer to their favourite WWE Superstars and Legends. This will help us to continue our legacy of delivering added-value to existing WWE viewers and attracting new audiences through fun and engaging social chats.”

  • Sony Pictures Networks India extents broadcast partnership with WWE by 5 yrs

    Sony Pictures Networks India extents broadcast partnership with WWE by 5 yrs

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have announced a five-year extension agreement to broadcast weekly wrestling matches, buttressing the fact that wrestling is one of the most-watched non-cricket sports in India.

    An official press release said: “With an expanded a broadcast agreement that will deliver WWE’s weekly flagship programming and localised content in India and the Indian subcontinent, making SPN the exclusive home to WWE in-ring content across its television and digital platforms.”

    As part of the agreement, SPN will have the rights to air Raw, SmackDown, NXT as well as WWE pay-per-view specials live on its sports and digital platforms in English, Hindi and regional languages.

    The expanded partnership also provides SPN the rights to WWE Network which hosts thousands of hours of content to be made available to audiences in India exclusively through SonyLIV, SPN’s OTT platform.

    For the first time, SPN will curate content from WWE’s extensive video library which includes live events, iconic matches, interviews with legends, reality shows, documentaries, on its own platforms.

    Sony Pictures Networks India head sports and chief revenue officer distribution Rajesh Kaul says, “WWE has been consistently ranking in the top three properties across all sports networks in India, dominating the sports entertainment space. We are delighted to extend our partnership with WWE in a first of its kind deal that will give us increased exposure to valuable content and reach out to a broader viewer base across India on multiple platforms.”

    WWE executive vice-president James Rosenstock says, “India is a strategically important market for WWE and Sony Pictures Networks has been an extraordinary partner in helping to grow our fanbase in the region, making it one of the most-watched sports properties. The expanded partnership gives our passionate fans new opportunities to engage with the WWE brand.”

    The agreement comes at a time when WWE’s popularity in India continues to grow. WWE is one of the most-watched sports properties in India, and India ranks number one for WWE YouTube consumption and #1 in WWE Facebook followers.

    In addition, WWE has been actively recruiting elite athletes and performers from the country. Last year, WWE hosted its largest try out in history, where more than 70 top athletes from India showcased their abilities in Mumbai. Four Indian recruits were selected to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, US.

  • Sunny Leone chooses Abdullah Pathan- the strongest man on VMate as her Mr. V

    Sunny Leone chooses Abdullah Pathan- the strongest man on VMate as her Mr. V

    New Delhi: VMate’s New Year Dhamaka campaign #SunnyKaNewYearCall finally saw a winner going on a date with Sunny Leone as she chose the strongest man on VMate as her Mr. V.

    Abdullah Pathan from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh emerged as the campaign winner to go on a date with Sunny Leone! The strongman ('local hulk') from Moradabad, Abdullah is already a popular video creator with over 6 lakh followers on VMate. To win a date with Sunny he created many videos with his friends and family members around the campaign. His videos were funny, action packed, simple, yet, in one video where he is seen riding a horse cart in a pure filmy fashion declaring that he is coming to date Sunny Leone, was beyond everyone’s comprehension. This reflects Abdullah’s dedication and focus to win the big prize.

    http://s.vmate.com/meUJUbmqAu 

    The campaign gained instant success after Sunny Leone's speculated love interest who was touted as Mr. V turned out to be VMate, which was allowing users to make a video call video with Sunny Leone to celebrate the new year with a twist. Many social media platforms were buzzing with the news, VMate witnessed millions of curious users creating innovative videos with the campaign's hashtag making it one of the most popular campaigns online. Various videos with hilarious memes, funny expressions, macho attitude, and ravishing style went viral on social platforms.

    According to Abdullah, “Meeting Sunny Leone is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I am thankful to VMate for providing me with the same. I am also amazed by the humbleness of Sunny Leone who made me feel comfortable with her presence and was curious to know about my future plans. To my surprise as a momento she has given me autographed boxing gloves and did liked my videos. With VMate helping me to gain popularity and earn money, I am sure that one day my dream to be in WWE and launching a gym to inspire young children to take up fitness will come true.”

    "This has been a wonderful journey, saw so many videos from so many creators. Many were actually funny and comic but what Abdullah did was absolutely wonderful. In a way, it is also humbling to know how many people actually love you. I wish best of luck to Abdullah for his future.", said Sunny.

    VMate has become a rage among the youth of India across the country for introducing exciting social media campaigns which also allow them to win bumper prizes such as a car, a scooty, latest smartphones, and more. Recently, VMate had concluded its #VMateFilmistan campaign with more than 7.8 lakh people winning prizes worth Rs. 2.65 crores. In the past also, VMate gained popularity for introducing unique campaigns such as its association with Nach Baliye Season 9, Diwali Campaign and more. Many VMate creators, who are common people, are earning money via VMate videos and transforming their lives by achieving their dreams.

  • Sony Pictures Networks India and WWE(R) celebrate SmackDown’s 20th anniversary with a move to a new day and time beginning 5th October 2019 on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 3 channels

    Sony Pictures Networks India and WWE(R) celebrate SmackDown’s 20th anniversary with a move to a new day and time beginning 5th October 2019 on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 3 channels

    MUMBAI: WWE’s flagship program SmackDown will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a move to a new day and time beginning 5th October 2019 at 5:30AM on SONY TEN 1 channels in English and SONY TEN 3 channels in Hindi.

    WWE Superstars past and present will be on hand to celebrate the occasion including Kurt Angle, Lita, Mick Foley, Booker T, Hulk Hogan, Trish Stratus, Goldberg, Jerry Lawler, Mark Henry, Ric Flair and Sting.

    Beginning with its 20th anniversary celebration on 5th October 2019, SmackDown Live will become Friday Night SmackDown and air, live & exclusive, on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 3 channels every Saturday morning, 52 weeks a year, captivating fans with a unique combination of edge-of-your-seat action, unpredictable drama and world-class athleticism.

    In India, WWE is the second most viewed property on pay sports channels, after Cricket, and SmackDown has been captivating audiences from across the country for years. On air since 1999, SmackDown is the second-longest running weekly episodic television show in U.S. primetime history, only behind Monday Night Raw. SmackDown has aired more original episodes than some of the most popular television series of all time, including The Simpsons, Gunsmoke, Lassie and Monday Night Football.

    In its 20-year history, SmackDown has also helped launch the careers of pop-culture icons including Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson, John Cena®, Triple H®, “Stone Cold®” Steve Austin® and The Bella Twins™.

    High-octane action featuring a heavily stacked and entertaining roster of some of WWE’s best talent will now kick-start the weekend for WWE lovers in India. The live telecast of RAW will continue every Tuesday morning at 5:30 am on SONY TEN 1 channels in English and SONY TEN 3 channels in Hindi.

  • Sony Pictures Sports Network ropes in 17 advertisers for The Ashes & India tour of West Indies

    Sony Pictures Sports Network ropes in 17 advertisers for The Ashes & India tour of West Indies

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has bagged more than 17 advertisers for The Ashes and India tour of West Indies. The network has roped in regular Indian cricket advertisers as well as international advertisers.

    SPSN has bagged Xiaomi, Idea/Vodafone, Bajaj Auto, Pernod Ricard, Naukri.com, Ultratech, Amazon.in, Byju’s, Pharmeasy, My Team XI.com, Shikhar pan masala, Apple, Netflix, Mankind pharma, Bharat Matrimony, My circle 11.com and Kent amongst others on board for the series.  

    Sony Pictures Networks chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul in an interaction with Indiantelevision.com said, “The Ashes and India tour of West Indies are both marquee cricket series and we definitely have sponsor interest for both the properties. There are regular Indian cricket advertisers as well as international advertisers who are interested in using these series as a platform to communicate and advertise.”

    Kaul also believes that the timing of both the series are a great opportunity for brands to make use of the platform for upcoming festive season promotions and campaign. “It is no secret that cricket is a religion in the country and the respect and admiration towards the sport ensures that there always will be advertiser’s interest during any marquee cricket event like The Ashes and India tour of West Indies. Both these cricket series have been enjoyed by fans for years together and we expect this year to be no different,” said Kaul. 

    Sony Pictures Sports Network has launched a #MoreCricket campaign for both the events. “The campaign #MoreCricket drives inspiration from every Indians’ insatiable appetite for cricket. The on-air promo for the campaign captures the sentiments of every Indian this monsoon, as the top cricket teams and players in the world in two exciting series will feature on Sony Pictures Sports Network. The 40-second film derives a similarity between an Indian cricket fan and a peacock, as both are going to have a thrilling monsoon this year. The campaign has a television, radio, print, digital and social media rollout,” informed Kaul. 

    Speaking on strategies to reach the larger audience, Kaul said, “As a global multi-sport arena, we are leaving no stone unturned to provide the best content to audiences across India. Through key initiatives like regional language feeds, second screen engagements, associations and tie-ups we have increased outreach to the masses for various marquee properties in 2019 and will be doing the same in the future as well.”

    This year so far, the network has recognised the appetite for WWE in South India, launched Tamil and Telugu feeds for WrestleMania and tied up with India’s leading multiplex operator, PVR Cinemas for WWE WrestleMania 35 and UEFA Champions League Finals across various cities in India. “For the rest of this year and in the future, our audiences can expect many more activations from us to ensure high rates of engagement,” opined Kaul.

    Speaking on the consumption of non-cricket sports, Kaul said, “Cricket has been the most consumed sport in India for a long time and probably will remain so for some more years, however, the scale has been tipping in favour of a multi-sports viewing culture. Other sports like wrestling, football, tennis, volleyball and more are gaining popularity every year. We take a lot of pride in the fact that it’s been our pioneering objective to promote a multi-sport viewing culture in India and with our vast bouquet of properties, we have undertaken various initiatives to drive up the consumption of non-cricket sports.”

    Kaul also informed that apart from cricket, WWE attracts a lot of viewers from tier 2 & tier 3 markets. Tier 2 and tier 3 markets are avid sports consumers and the network is looking at opportunities to engage further with them as and when possible.

    Throwing some light on how has the current year been for Sony Pictures Sports Network Kaul said, “The current year started on a high note in terms of revenue with two fantastic semi-finals in UEFA Champions League culminating to a big final in Madrid. We also had a great end to the NBA season and the multitude of football tournaments and leagues we air from across the globe contributed to the increase in the revenue. We also aired the biggest WWE PPV event – WrestleMania 35 which also contributed to the growth of our revenue.”

  • Sports organisations dive into creating own digital ventures

    Sports organisations dive into creating own digital ventures

    MUMBAI: When cord-cutting started to become a phenomenon, there was a perception that live sports was one of the reasons why people wouldn’t cut the cord. In last two years, however, sports have proved to be a game changer for over-the-top (OTT) services. As a result, several major sports federations are taking initiatives to launch their own streaming services.

    Broadcasters have become frenzied when it comes to bidding for sporting tournaments with everyone letting their purses loose. Traditional broadcasters have led the way till now but sports federations are trying to make a mark of their own for dedicated and new fans.

    Recent reports suggest that La Liga, Spain’s football governing body has planned to launch an OTT service. It aims to secure €1.3 billion a year for the TV rights, but pay-TV operators are not willing to pay such a sum. Football fans across the globe eagerly wait for La Liga matches but yet broadcasters view the amount as a non-profitable sum.

    The availability of OTT platforms is enabling La Liga organisers to stick to the amount they are demanding. Javier Tebas, president of La Liga recently said at a conference in Barcelona, that if the bids don’t meet their expectation they won’t grant the rights. Moreover, the OTT platform La Liga is already working on will be a free multi sports streaming service adding more value to it.

    Another world class tournament, which has a fan worldwide, has a full-fledged plan to launch its OTT F1 TV.  While La Liga’s plan to make its OTT service free, F1 TV is going to be a subscription-based commercial free service. Aimed at core fans of Formula One, its plans to ace digital transformation is definitely a huge one.

    Like many OTT players worldwide, who don’t want non-paying viewers to jump out, the Formula One committee will offer a less expensive, non-live subscription tier, F1 TV Access. It will provide live race timing data and radio commentary, as well as extended highlights of each session from the race weekend. Knowing the fact that streaming live sports with lowest latency might be a challenge, it has relied on Tata Communications for CDN and connectivity services.

    The inclination to reach the global audience through a digital platform touched the Winter Olympics too. One of the main aims of the digital coverage is to engage fans more with the ongoing tournament to keep the excitement high. 2018 was the first year to witness digital coverage of this ancient sporting event. Olympic Channel aired Olympic Games coverage live for the first time on its global digital platform at olympicchannel.com and mobile apps for Android and iOS.

    Such attempts allow sports organisations the opportunity to reach fans on own terms and develop a direct relation with them. Along with coping with change in viewers’ habit, it may help them to evade the complex bidding process.  

    Though the trend seems new, WWE is one of the earliest examples to dive into OTT streaming service in 2013. WWE saw multiple benefits from offering its OTT subscription service to viewers including addition of more than a million active subscribers within a short term according to reports.  Other than that, what they got is data. A spokesperson from the company itself said, they could track when viewers are watching, what device they are using, how long they are watching, etc.

    By using your own OTT app federations can directly know their audience by gathering data. Using this information of viewer’s habit and demographics, the organisations can revamp the branding of the leagues in future. Especially, in such a context when on-demand sports content is a must in the future.