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Tag: FIFA World Cup

  • As its Global Brand Ambassador

    Lionel Messi promotes Byju’s Education for All Foundation

    By Our Staff

     

    On the heels of Argentina’s historic FIFA World Cup victory, Lionel Messi has posted ‘Namaste India’ on his Instagram to the delight of his millions of followers. The post carries a series of pictures showing Messi wearing Byju’s jersey to promote the cause of equitable and accessible education through the Byju’s Education For All (EFA) foundation.

     

    Byju’s, the edtech company, had announced Messi as the global brand ambassador of EFA, its social initiative, a month before the World Cup began in November. Messi is known to promote the cause of equal education and also serves as a global brand ambassador of UNICEF.

     

    “Children are our future,” Messi wrote, adding that no matter where they live, every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and grow. Commending BYJU’S and its groundbreaking work in championing inclusive tech-driven education for all, Messi took the message of equal, equitable, and quality education for all to his 400 million+ social media followers, and marked his welcome into the BYJU’S family. His post garnered nearly 10 million, or 1 crore, likes in the first ten hours, making it one of his most popular endorsement posts.

     

    Said Divya Gokulnath, co-founder of Byju’s:  “We are honoured to have Lionel Messi join us in our mission to provide accessible education for all children, regardless of their background or location. Messi’s passionate advocacy for education and children aligns perfectly with our own values at Byju’s, and we look forward to working with him to expand the reach and impact of our Education for All initiative.”

     

  • Conceptualized and executed by Jungle agency

    Budweiser India launches a series of campaigns for FIFA World Cup

    By Our Staff

     

    As a part of their FIFA World Cup campaign, Budweiser India teamed up with Jungle, a Mumbai-based creative production house, to conceptualize and execute the Indian leg of the tunnel stories.

     

    The campaign has kickstarted with actor Siddhant Chaturvedi and fashionista Masaba Gupta with more such stories launching soon leading up to the FIFA World Cup finale.

     

    Ankit Kataria, Director at Draftline & Connections talks about the campaign: “With Budweiser, we have always tried to push the envelope when it comes to people that shape culture. We wanted to showcase some really powerful stories & how each of them have faced the odds & the seized every opportunity that came their way. We were looking for a partner who would go the extra mile and bring our tunnel story narrative to life, and Jungle fit right in. A great collaborative effort that has resulted in some powerful stories which we are truly excited about.”

     

    Added Rudra Mawani, the Executive Producer at Jungle: “The tunnel is an analogy to the odds that we all encounter, coupled the uncertainty & doubt, which we rise up against with grit, determination to seize every opportunity. Harnessing the power of visual metaphors, a constant in all of Jungle’s creations we created a unique visual world that represented each artist’s story.”

     

  • …of Fifa World Cup-related communication for Indian consumers. A review by Vikas Mehta

    Agony & Ecstasy…

     

     

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaThe Fifa World Cup is now reaching its crescendo. My social media feed is full of comments on football and I can see lot of angst as the traditional superpowers like Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Brazil have been eliminated. Teams like Morocco or Croatia do not have the same universal appeal and at best are seen as outsiders. But football fans in India have one more angst. The patchy and glitchy coverage of the event in India on the Jio Cinema OTT channel.

     

    I am surprised at the criticism as I was watching the matches on the Sports18 TV channel and the coverage seemed pretty good. But what really got me puzzled was why were most of the people I know, watching the matches on the OTT channel and why not on the traditional DTH channel?

     

    Subscribing for a month or even a quarter was very cheap and no connectivity or downloading speed issues to tackle. Turns out from my limited friend circle that not many knew about the TV option and the addiction to OTT is so great that many have actually given up on DTH TV. The reality had hit home.

     

    Now that I am travelling, I too have started watching the matches on OTT, mobile screen. And to me all seems fine. The glitches about buffering etc have not affected me even though I am in the interiors of Tamil Nadu with some Mandous-related weather issues.

     

    My biggest disappointment with the Football World Cup, as indeed it was with the T20 World Cup is the lack of interesting World Cup-related commercials. On a global scale, Nike, Coke, Pepsi have launched some interesting commercials. Pepsi has brilliantly used its global stars like Messi Ronaldinho, Pogba etc and weaved in the lingo and feel of the Gen Z with slang like nutmugged etc. It also has a flashes of irreverence, chutzpah and of course football. Living upto the expectations of what Pepsi calls “Generation Thirsty”, the ad is about being thirsty for more. The commercial has got a strong backlash too as it seems to have adopted a lot of Moroccan locales and cultural icons which could be interpreted as Qatari. But I guess with the Moroccans having knocked out Spain and now Portugal and having advanced to the semi finals, this anomaly will be overlooked. Watch the Pepsi World cup ad.

     

    Expectedly, Coke, which is the official sponsor of World Cup, has come out with a simple yet strong film which stays true to Coke’s global sign-off of ‘Believing is Magic’. Depicting a young girl swept away in a carnivalesque celebration of football, the film stays true to the brand personality of Coke. Watch it here: Coke World Cup

     

    But Coke has been breaking new grounds of late and it tries to go beyond just advertising. I was therefore not surprised to come across a whole digital campaign which captures a wide range of fans’ devotion for their beloved teams. The ads show the outlandish promises many fans would make if their team could win the World Cup; from getting a tattoo, to shaving their head, to running to work every day—while inviting viewers to share their own promises for possible inclusion in Coca-Cola packaging, digital content or outdoor creative. And Coke is also issuing NFT’s associated with this world cup. Digital Memories that will be for the buyers to own. Watch this: Coke World Cup promise

     

    The piece de resistance for me was definitely the Nike Multiverse campaign. It has a simple global insight of fans’, in this case two scientists in a lab, debating the greatness of their favourite player, across different eras. And then the whole campaign turns into a science induced multiverse universe where players Mbappe and Ronalidinho (he seems to be getting into an advertising renaissance), are zapped into a multiverse universe to have them play against each other. Soon other employees at the lab weigh in with their favourites, present and past, like the Brazilian Ronaldo, Ronaldo CR7, Alex Morgan, Kevin De Bryun, Virgil Van Dijik etc and the film gets into some crazy football shots with a nice touch of technology. Nike has again outdone itself. Watch the ad. World Cup Nike

     

    All this makes me wonder why brands like Coke or Pepsi who have a strong presence in India and who splurge a lot on advertising, not show any world cup related ad. Coke is a global sponsor of the World Cup and yet it has no presence in either the TV or the OTT telecast. I understand the winter months low soft drink consumption issue but seriously, the world cup is a brand building exercise, not just an increase in sales time. The winters in Europe are much more severe. I also believe that initiatives like the outlandish promises, will work very well in India. Just yesterday I saw a post from a Bengali friend, who, while moaning the exit of Brazil was also depressed that he will have to go non vegetarian till the end of the world cup. Some outlandish promise or wager, is my guess. So why total silence by the brand during world cup football is beyond my comprehension.

     

    I did see a Pepsi ad on TV during the matches but it was a rerun of an old “more fizz” ad featuring the more older Salman Khan. Nothing to do with football.

     

    Byju’s has hired Messi as a brand ambassador for its social cause of education for all. Hyundai is one of the official sponsor of the world cup. Visa is another global sponsor. And Amul is the regional sponsor (whatever that means) of Argentina and Portugal teams. So, let’s look what these brands, who have a strong presence in India, are doing around the world cup in India.

     

    Byju’s had an ad which I saw a month or so ago which announced the partnership with Messi along with Byju’s being an official sponsor of the world cup. A very forgettable and predictable piece of ad which featured some stock footage of Messi and a few supers announcing from India to the world (whatever that means, again) and Byju’s sponsorship. Shoddy, poor quality and unimaginative. There is a separate long video which uses Messi to talk about the importance of choosing the right coach not just in football but in education too. Interestingly done but it’s a long video which is expected to go viral and not being telecast during the matches. Byju’s Messi Ad

     

    Amul has gone the same tacky route. Some stock shots of players of each team with a milk splash effect added on. Mind you, these are still shots, not even video footage. There is a bit of a generic milk benefit lyrics added on which rhyme with the name of the team. Sample this. Go go Portugal. Doodh se mile bal. Tasty har pal. Daud aur uchal. Or this one. Amul Khana peena tasty aur proteina. Cheer Argentina. Some really corny stuff with absolutely no production values. It has an interesting thought in its tagline of being the original energy drink. But it has been relegated to just a tagline. Amul had a budget for sponsoring the teams. Amul has a budget for buying media time. But Amul kept hardly any production budget. Go figure. Amul Argentina Regional sponsor

     

    The auto brand, Hyundai, has followed a global diktat. They are using a global film which is very high on tech with a message of “Beyond Mobility”. The ad is more manufacturer speak rather than consumer benefit or language. Leaves one cold. Watch here. Hyundai beyond mobility

     

    And Visa is re-unning some old ads which showcase the advantage over paying cash by using Visa cards. Tap to pay with Visa. A network that’s fast, secure and convenient. Seriously? In a world dominated by UPI payment that’s Visa’s competitive advantage? Watch here. Visa India

     

    Definitely the World Cup ads in India are a huge disappointment. Rather, these are a case of missed opportunity. The brands have missed out on a chance to use the world cup in a creative and engaging way. The plethora of similar looking automobile ads or RBI ads or Mutual Funds sahi hai ads featuring cricketers and film stars are just using world cup as another event where the brands are throwing good money but not creating any impact. It’s just an item ticked off. And that’s really a pity.

     

    P.S: Ok, I now understand the furore about the Jio Cinema glitches during live telecast. While writing this, I am watching the Morocco vs Portugal match and at half-time for two-three minutes there was nothing happening. Just some shots of the stadiums and some graphics. No commentary, no explanation. And then after 2-3 minutes the match centre came on with a half time report. Very shoddy and unprofessional indeed.

     

  • The first 10 days of the 2022 Fifa World Cup have reiterated realities that every brand manager should pay heed to, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Brand Lessons from Football

    Nicolas Otamendi’s photograph saying: Hoy más que nunca (today more than ever). Indeed! Picture source: @Notamendi30

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayThe biggest sporting festival in the world is in full swing. Like every previous edition, this too is having its share of delights and controversies. Each day for the last 10 days, has thrown up one new story outside of the sport. Starting with the general narrative of human rights abuses and contract worker deaths in Qatar, the spotlight moved on to beer not being allowed in the stadia despite Budweiser being a sponsor, to the Iranian team not singing their national anthem in their first match, to the Germans doing the team gesture in support of the ‘OneLove’ movement, to the ex-Danish prime minister sitting next to the FIFA chief wearing a dress with rainbow sleeves, to a tweet before the US-Iran game showing the Iranian flag without the central crest and then to celebrations in Tehran on the national team failing to qualify for the next round. Guess Gianni Infantino has had his fill of hair-raising anxieties for one lifetime!

     

     

    Since we do not have actual wars and battles as frequently as till the 1800s, the sportsfield has been the battleground. Between countries. For movements. For protests. For spreading fear. For claiming ‘victories’. And football has been one of the biggest sporting platforms since the first World Cup in 1930. Given that 140-odd nations play the game and are ranked by FIFA, no other sport comes close by a mile in terms of popularity. It is the only team sport that has no hierarchies in terms of the elite performers and the also-rans. This is one team sport that has broken down barriers of colour, race, region and faith… time and again. Therefore, the lessons a brand can draw from the sport are priceless. And the current FIFA World Cup is no exception.

     

    The first 10 days have reiterated the following realities that every brand manager should pay heed to:

     

    No place for pedestals

    There are no hierarchies in the marketplace. There is a leader and a challenger. And that is all. What was good for yesterday is not good enough for tomorrow. And no challenger fears the holder of the crown. Champions are meant to be beaten. The higher ranked teams might not even go into the next round. They will be made to struggle for survival at every stage. Every new market or segment or target customer is a totally fresh playground.

     

    Possession is nothing

    This is the biggest learning from the game. One can possess the ball for only one-third of the time and yet win the game. In this edition too several teams have done so repeatedly. One does not get any point for possession but only on scoring goals. Quality over quantity!

     

    Counterattacks are critical

    The ability to react against intense competitive pressure is to take the game into the other camp and strike. For this planning counterattacks as part of the core strategy is important. The counterattack cannot be random and whimsical. It needs to be thought out, rehearsed and then deployed for maximum impact. The counterattack has the ability to break the morale of competition.

     

    Conversion matters

    One cannot come away from the game happy that the team made 17 attempts of which two hit the crossbar, five were parried away and six were corners. Every free kick within 25-30 metres of the opposition’s box needs to be converted. Same with every corner. These are opportunities given to you by the other team, so wasting them is almost a crime. Leads and footfalls need to be converted just like these chances, especially if handed over by competition.

    As I write, it is half-time in the Argentina-Poland game.

    Argentina must win this to move into the next round.

    It has had 65.8% possession, nine shots inside the box, seven shots on target, two shots blocked and one penalty saved. If this continues and Argentina cannot make it, who else is to blame? (Argentina beat Poland 2-0, and, yes, it has advanced to the next stage – Ed)

     

    Plan B in reserve

    Superstars can be injured. Pivots can underperform on certain days. Have alternatives ready in reserve. Also, have a balance of specialists and generalists. There will be the traditional defenders and midfielders who have clear roles but also the ‘liberos’ who can operate in different positions depending on the situation. Players who can use both feet to shoot are prized for any team. Ivan Perisic of Croatia typically switches flanks from his favourite left to the right when the game demands. And the opposition is typically not prepared for such sudden changes in plan. Multi-tasking works in football too as Johann Cruyff and his Dutch team demonstrated in the 1974 World Cup!

     

    Regard and respect

    At the end of the 90 minutes, once the battle is over, you go over and embrace the player of the other team. If you tackle a player, you give him a hand too to get up. When an injured opposition player is being tended to, you do share a bottle of water with his teammate. And when your opposition has been knocked out of the tournament, you do lend a shoulder to cry on. For it is a game after all. It is to win and not to kill, to defeat and not to destroy.

     

    Antonee Robinson of the US team comforts Ramin Rezaeian of Iran after the latter are knocked out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup – Source Getty Images

     

    Like a good Bong, Avik Chattopadhyay is nuts about football. Just as he is about brands, automobiles, advertising, culture, religion, Indian politics, American politics, British politics… almost everything. Like a good Bong, we told you. This is his column, which is published every other Thursday. His views are personal. And, yes, he’s a strategy consultant based in Gurugram.

     

  • The way the sport was growing about a decade ago, football should have been a clear No 2, writes Shailesh Kapoor. But… read on

    Whistle Up The World Cup

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorWe are moved from one World Cup into another. Within a week of the T20 Cricket World Cup final, the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar. So far, it’s been a fairly engaging tournament, though punctuated by four goalless draws on the way. There have already been two big upsets in the first four days, with fancied Argentina and Germany losing to Saudi Arabia and Japan respectively.

     

    The popularity of the sport of football rose in India about 10-15 years ago, as international leagues started getting popular, and a loyal (though niche) fan base started building around specific teams and players. Over the last five years though, the sport seems to have hit some sort of stagnation. In Ormax’s ‘We, The Sports Fans of India’ report, released in April 2022, football has 23.4 million fans in India, and ranks no. 4, just behind kabaddi (28.5 mn) and WWE/ wrestling (26.5 Mn). Cricket, of course, is the dominant leader, at 124.2 Mn.

     

    The way the sport was growing about a decade ago, football should have been a clear No 2, with about 35-40 millions fans, at the very least. One of the impeding factors has been that Indian Super League (ISL), founded in 2013, has failed to fire. The league continues to exist and even get some viewership. But it has not generated fandom for the sport, beyond a handful of states like West Bengal, Goa and Kerala, where the sport has always been big anyway.

     

    In contrast, kabaddi has seen huge build-up of fanbase, starting from virtually nothing, on the back of a vibrant and thriving league. It’s not very difficult to understand why Pro Kabaddi League has been a bigger success than ISL. With exposure to the best of international football, the quality at display in ISL looks mediocre in comparison. And there is no room for mediocre content in a world where we are inundated with options.

     

    The sport one starts watching in one’s teens is often the main sport one watches through the rest of their lives. What one plays (the few who do!) may evolve over the years, but the first choice to watch invariably doesn’t. Football was making inroads on this front, till a few years ago. A new generation of kids in the metro cities would find cricket too slow, and international football became their go-to sport.

     

    Since then, these kids have grown up to be in their 20s, and IPL has grown stronger with each passing year. The gap between cricket and other sports may only be widening now, I suspect.

     

    But that’s a thing of the future. For now, we have another three weeks of what is arguably the biggest global sporting spectacle, and at very friendly India timings too. Relish!

     

  • With footballer Sweety Devi

    Kalyan Jewellers unveils campaign for football-themed jewellery

    By Our Staff

     

    With FIFA World Cup having kickstarted, Kalyan Jewellers has launched a brand new football-themed jewellery – Es Vida. The brand has kickstarted the campaign with professional footballer Sweety Devi. The limited edition jewellery designs of Es Vida pays tribute to the country’s vibrant football culture.

     

    Talking about the football memorabilia, Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director – Kalyan Jewellers said: “We are delighted to introduce Es Vida to the passionate and enthusiastic football community in India and the Middle East. We believe that these all-new soccer-inspired designs will be something that the footballing community would love to wear and flaunt, as they celebrate this game season. In a brand first, we have associated with India’s football icons for the Es Vida campaign, and we hope that fan’s for whom football is life, will embrace Es Vida.”

     

  • Between sports and politics, we have a packed 12 weeks, leading up to the end of the year, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Two World Cups & A Mega Election

     

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorWe are in the last quarter of 2022. It’s been a fairly ‘normal’ year, after the painfully-disruptive 2020 and 2021. It’s also a year that saw normalcy return to the entertainment business, despite pandemic-related challenges linked to changing audience habits and taste.

     

    The last two-and-a-half months of the year promise to pack a punch from a mass media perspective. Starting later this month, we have the much-awaited T20 Cricket World Cup in Australia. The tournament was originally scheduled for 2020, but was canceled because of the pandemic. The 2021 edition in India was eventually held in the UAE, with ICC moving the Australia edition to 2022.

     

    India’s campaign kicks off with the marquee India-Pakistan clash on Sunday, October 23. With a depleted and somewhat-inexperienced bowling attack, India has its task cut out. But irrespective of how the team performs, the tournament is bound to be a viewership magnet.

     

    Cricket in Australia always makes for good television. And while the match timings (afternoons) may not be primetime friendly in India, three key India matches are scheduled for Sundays. And being in the middle of Diwali holidays helps, both from viewership and ad revenue perspectives.

     

    Within days of the Cricket World Cup ending starts the FIFA World Cup, being held in Qatar from November 20. Usually a summer event, the World Cup is being held in winters, to avoid the high summer temperatures the host nation witnesses. While the audience is understandably smaller than cricket in India, it’s the first Football World Cup in a long time where the match timings are India-friendly.

     

    And then, there’s the anticipated big-ticket political event, elections to the Gujarat state legislature. While the dates are not out, December is touted to be month. Gujarat elections always hold special interest, because it’s the state from which Prime Minister Modi hails. While a BJP win in these elections will not surprise anyone, the build-up and the campaigning are likely to gets news media all charged up. The Aam Aadmi Party has also thrown its hat in the ring, and a struggling Congress will be hoping that these elections provide some face-saving value to them, after a spate of embarrassing defeats in recent times.

     

    Between sports and politics, we have a packed 12 weeks, leading up to the end of the year.

     

    This column will take a seasonal break and return on November 18, 2022.

     

  • TAM Sports gives us the leading categories, advertisers & brands across the telecast of the 2018 editions of the two sporting events

    Advertisers on FIFA World Cup 2018 & IPL 2018

    TAM Sports, a jv of Kantar Media and Nielsen, tracks leading sporting events. In the set of tables below, we have a list of the leading categories, advertisers and brands across the television coverage of the 2018 editions of FIFA World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
  • The new partnership is designed to put creativity in sports at the centre of its approach

    The Social Street inks partnership with UK-based Works Ltd.

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Social Street has entered into a partnership with UK-based Works Ltd in a move to promote sports advertising.

     

    Works has been associated with several sporting events including the recent FIFA World Cup in Rusia where it was commissioned to roll out the official look for the event.

     

    Commenting on the new association, Mandeep Malhotra, Founding Partner & CEO, The Social Street added, “With Works we have gained a partner who will provide us with tremendous support to build a strong sports marketing arsenal. Their bespoke body of work – be it design, branding or production across mediums – speaks volumes. We’re extremely delighted to join forces with Works as our go-to partner for everything that is sports. We look forward to working with them on a series of joint initiatives in India and across South Asia.”

     

    Said Roy Webber, Founder & CEO, Works: “This is a wonderful opportunity for Works. India and South Asia have such an appetite and love for sport and entertainment – to be a part of the energy created by this growing and vibrant market is an exciting prospect for us. It’s so important to engage with a like-minded and trusted partner when we enter a new territory. Mandeep is building something quite special with The Social Street and to collaborate with them at this point marks the beginning of a great new chapter for Works.”

     

    Aimed at inspiring innovation in sports, The Social Street and Works will collaboratively approach assignments and campaigns to capitalise on opportunities in India as well South Asia.

     

  • There are few better ways to chronicle the just-concluded FIFA World Cup than the Amul topicals. We bring you all the ads released for the Russian edition

    Utterly Fifaly Russilicious!

     

    By A Correspondent [updated]

     

    There are few better ways to chronicle the just-concluded FIFA World Cup than the Amul topicals. We bring you all the ads released for the Russian edition. Perhaps every edition of the World Cup sees the creators of the Amul ad at Mumbai-based da Cunha Advertising see their creative juices flowing better than ever before.

     

    We still fondly remember the ‘Maradonatohaisa, butter hona toh Amul hona’ from 1989, though couldn’t locate the image for the 1982 super-ad ‘Pau lo roz hi’ on Paolo Rossi.

     

    There have been as many as 13 ads released just in the duration of the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia, with, we are sure a few more could follow. For instance, how about one on the Croatian president who, like the team, won our heart.

     

    We will update this story when there’s more. Meanwhile, here’s the collection. Enjoy.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • The greatest sports event in the world starts tonight. We bring you all of Amul’s topicals from the last edition, and some more

    Utterly, Butterly, FIFA-licious

     

    You know how much we love to tell various stories via Amul ads. Over the years, they’ve indeed been the true chronicler of the times. Given the growing interest in the FIFA World Cup, there have been 12 ads created by da Cunha Associates for Amul Butter for the just-concluded championship in Brazil… and one more last year. We are sure there will be several more in the coming weeks. There have also been some classics over the years, though we couldn’t locate our favourite on Paolo Rossi from 1982 (Pau lo Roz hi) on the Amul website. Enjoy

     

     

    FIFA World Cup winners ! – July ’14

     

    Brazil’s humiliating defeat ! – July ’14

     

    Lax officiating breaks Brazil’s back – July ’14

     

    The stars of FIFA 2014 ! – July ’14

     

    Dutch footballer fakes dive! – July’14

     

    Leading goal scorer – Rodriguez – June’14

     

    Uruguay striker uses his teeth! – June’14

     

    Brazilian star excels!

     

    Reign of Spain ends – June’14

     

    Portugese player’s aggro behaviour ! – June’14

     

    Persie helps Netherlands thrash Spain!

     

    FIFA fever begins…

     

    And here are some classics:

    Octopus Paul predicting the outcome of the World Cup Football final (2010)

     

    On French Captain Zinedine Zidane shown red card sending him off for vicious
    head-butting Italian defender in the chest during the World Cup Football Final (2006)

     

    On the Brazilian team’s star football players (2002)

     

    Football sensation Diego Maradona takes on the world by storm (1989)

     

     

  • The campaign is shot by celebrity and fashion photographer Rid Burman

    Ranveer Singh to endorse Adidas’s Samba

    By A Correspondent

     

    Adidas Originals has announced that actor Ranveer Singh will be brand ambassador for its brand Samba.

     

    The Samba campaign starring Ranveer Singh has been shot by photographer Rid Burman. Timed with the kickstart of the FIFA World Cup, the campaign is an addition to adidas Originals’ “growing commitment in targeting India as one of the key target markets”, notes a communique.