MxMIndia

Tag: IPL

  • The ongoing Indian Premier League  will continue to be available for Free as part of its Ad-Supported offering

    JioCinema goes premium at Rs 29/month

    JioCinema has announced its new subscription offering, ‘JioCinema Premium’, with a market-disrupting Rs 29 per month subscription offer. A ‘Family’ plan was also announced at Rs 89 per month which offers the additional benefit of four simultaneous screens access. Existing JioCinema Premium members will now enjoy all the additional benefits of the ‘Family’ plan at no extra cost. The ongoing Indian Premier League  will continue to be available for Free as part of its Ad-Supported offering.IPL

    Speaking on the launch of JioCinema Premium, Kiran Mani, CEO, Viacom18 Digital said: “Creating and building an entertainment ecosystem with a product that is made for every Indian household, is not just a business strategy, but a vision to empower our country and users with an unmatched entertainment experience. JioCinema Premium aims to redefine the narrative of premium entertainment for every Indian while building a daily viewing habit.” adding: “The introduction of JioCinema Premium breaks the numerous cost and quality barriers that exist in accessing premium entertainment. With 4K streaming, best-in-class audio, offline viewing and no device restriction all at a customer-centric pricing is sure to democratise access to quality entertainment for all of India.”

  • To foster “deeper connection” between the brand, the fans, and the team

    Gulf Oil & Dentsu Creative campaign with CSK fans

    Gulf Oil Lubricants and Dentsu Creative have teamed up to unveil the ‘Unstoppable Army’ of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans.

    The campaign was kicked off with a behind-the-scenes film, featuring CSK players, led by MS Dhoni, as they arrived on set prepared to shoot the Gulf Oil ad.

    Notes a communique: “The Gulf Unstoppable Army campaign is a initiative that fosters a deeper connection between the brand, the fans, and the team. Leveraging digital platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for the campaign’s launch and subsequent fan-generated content, Gulf aims to create a cohesive and engaging narrative that celebrates the spirit of cricket and its supporters.”

  • Technology and the immortality of an advertising theory @IPL

    Technology and the immortality of an advertising theory @IPL

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaYet another season of IPL is underway. And like many millions, I have been following the matches keenly on JioCinema. Since I am travelling, I do not have access to DTH or cable to watch it on TV. So, my writing is based on my JioCinema experience only.

     

    Usually, I comment on the ads during the IPL. I will continue to do so. But this particular column is going to first recount my experience with JioCinema from a technology- and consumer-friendly viewpoint and then I shall take just two examples to highlight some issues in the IPL ads.

     

    I find the app very consumer-friendly during IPL. The home page highlights the match of the day and with one click, I am into the match. But when there are two matches then the homepage keeps on highlighting the first match, well beyond 7:30 pm and the second match requires real searching. The issue does not get resolved even by refreshing the page.

     

    In terms of the content, I find the ‘Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan’ contest very interesting. It’s a simple multiple-choice question based on what will happen in the next over. With one click, the answer is submitted. And before the next question comes up, one is informed if one got it right. But the beauty is that for all those who got right answers there is some prize. Usually, a discounted product from an online e-commerce portal. I, played it almost at the end of each over for two days and I had around 20 prizes. And the redemption was also well-planned. Click on the same page to redeem the prize. The right page, which offers only the products on offers open up. Your discount has been copied to the clipboard. Choose, fill your details, pay if required and the offer has been redeemed. No choosing of products and at check-out realising that your preferred products have no discount. No ambiguity. Very well-organised and planned. And at the last count, I came across nine brands offering the prizes. Two of the three I redeemed were delivered in Dehradun within 48-72 hours. And of course, there are bigger prizes for those who answer the most correct answers daily. Unfortunately, I did not have the patience to sit through all 40 overs and answer all questions. But kudos to a well thought through and planned contest.

     

    In terms of communication, I remember that ‘Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan’ was an offer that Jio had offered in the IPL four to five years ago. So, to find that this year MyCircle11 was sponsoring the contest was bit of a let-down. It also clashes with the MyCircle11 advertising as it caused a confusion in my mind if the contest had something to do with the gaming app offering discounts to play games on the app. I then realised that Tata had sponsored ‘Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan’ contest in 2021 and last year it was MRF. Personally, it’s a simple and rewarding contest and any sponsor will reap the rewards with a longer association. Like, I think Jio did for two-three years. I still remember it.

     

    Now, let’s focus on the ads. There were many new ads this year. Predictably, Dream 11 came up with, till now, the best campaign. Simple thought. Good use of the cricketers. I particularly liked the Mr Sharma ka beta mera beta featuring Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Sunil Shetty. It crossed the thin line between a cricketer and his personal life in a beautiful, interesting and heartwarming way, with a hint of comedy. Communication theories always say use celebrities who add to the brand personality and to the memorability of the ad. This is a great example of the same.  Watch the ad here.

     

    The other ads in the series have focused on personal rivalries. Bumrah vs Shreyas and then Shreyas vs Bumrah. Preity Zinta, co-owner of Punjab vs Pant got me cracking up at the end. Not in the same league as Mr. Sharma ka beta but at least Dream11 is not just splurging money on celebrities.

     

    I am now hoping to see a Hardik vs Rohit. Oh sorry. It’s about team loyalty. So maybe Hardik and Rohit.

     

    But the ad campaign which got me thinking was actually Parle. It has released a series of ads, thankfully without any cricketers or film stars. These address issues which are mostly intangibles. Difficult to pinpoint, prove or substantiate. So, difficult to communicate too. Quality, trust, variety, new products. The campaign has tried to use some odd metaphors or join some improbable dots to convey these messages. I just felt that someone is ramming down these virtues down my throat.

     

    And that’s when I remembered a gem of theory that was part of the JWT thinking process. The difference between stimulus and response. The theory mandated that do not put your benefit or message as a stimulus, rather let it be the response from the consumer. Do not spoon-feed. Let the consumer discover it. That way it will be more memorable and the communication will have a lasting impression. Remember the Ericsson black coffee ad? Nowhere it said the world’s smallest phone or even a small phone. It demonstrated its size as a stimulus and the response was “a phone so small it can hide in my palm.” No wonder the ad is recalled even after three decades. Watch the ad here.

    I feel that Parle has missed a trick. The amount of money that is spending trying to hit us with trust, quality and other parameters would have been much better spent if the desired response theory had been used.

    And this thought got amplified when I saw the Apple iPhone 15 app on storage for photos. It beautifully showed someone marking photos to be deleted and then they used a perfect song “Don’t let me go”. Each photo that was being marked for deletion suddenly came alive with the character in the photo singing the song. And at the end there was just a simple message which said lots of storage for lots of photos. They could have gone to town on memory capacity or on transferring photos to cloud through their cloud service. But by using the stimulus of each photo imploring not be deleted, through a song, the benefit was like a stimulus which I will not forget. Great ad.

     

    And we wonder why Apple iPhone commands such a premium and is yet a world leading brand! Watch the ad here.

     

    In fact the Preity Zinta vs Pant ad also is a stimulus vs response theory ad. Watch the ad here.

     

    I sincerely hope that some of the JWT theories like the stimulus vs response one are not buried along with the venerable brand.

     

    Before I end, I saw as a part of media co-sponsor super “Pepsi yeh dil mange more”. I was intrigued and excited to see what was the contemporary version of this classic Pepsi campaign. So, I found it on you tube. See it here. And let’s match our reactions in my next column.

     

  • With team partnerships valuing around INR 300 cr

    Rise Worldwide dominates IPL 2024 sponsorship

    Rise Worldwide, the sports and event management company, has facilitated multiple marquee deals for the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a communique from the firm has claimed. It has closed team partnerships worth around INR 300 cr which includes five front-of-jersey deals, capturing an impressive 50% of the coveted inventory for IPL 2024. It has secured over 50 brand partnerships ahead of this season.

    Among these significant partnerships, Dream11 has joined forces with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders, while Luminous has taken the spotlight as the front-of-jersey partner for Rajasthan Royals.

    Said Nikhil Bardia, Head of Rise Worldwide: “This IPL season has reaffirmed our status as the preferred partner in the Indian Premier League ecosystem. Overall, we have locked over 50 agreements as of now across our various partner teams. We have witnessed an increase of 20 percent in the team sponsorship deals.”

  • The Rise & Rise of the IPL

    The Rise & Rise of the IPL

    Source: www.iplt20.com

     

    Shailesh KapoorThe 17th edition of the Indian Premier League kicks off tonight. To say that it’s the biggest media event in India by some margin will be stating the obvious. The gap between IPL and other big-ticket properties has only grown wider over the last decade.

    The stature of IPL is reflected in our new report, titled The Ormax Sports Audience Report: 2024. The sampling of IPL in the 612 million audience base of cricket in India is higher than that of the ICC World Cup, by a good six percentage points. The list of most-recalled sporting franchises in India (across sports) sees a clean sweep, with the 10 IPL teams taking the top 10 positions, ahead of Manchester United and Patna Pirates, which are the most-recalled leagues in football and kabaddi respectively.

    In its first few years, IPL faced its share of controversies. But in its second phase, the league has been able to put cricket first, and that has helped it move away from the erstwhile imagery of a flippant brand, towards building credibility as a talent platform. This shift is fundamental in nature, and has held IPL in good stead.

    IPL is now a way of life for those in the media industry. Till not too many years ago, there was a lot of chatter about how GECs should dodge the IPL googly. Now, everyone has a playbook of sorts, and it’s not a topic to lose sleep over, anymore.

    This year’s IPL will be held amid the political fervor around the General Elections. News-wise, IPL will play second fiddle. But in terms of monetisation and viewership, it will continue to stay at the top. The stronger franchises are profitable now, and BCCI continues to get richer with each edition. Yet, there’s ample room for growth, as fan bases are continuing to build, especially for franchises that have made late entries, or taken their time to get going.

    This year’s IPL will also see younger captains across most teams. The average age of the 10 captains this year is 30 years, which is three years younger than the 33 years average age in IPL 2023. The old guard is passing the baton to the new, and that’s always a good thing, especially in a talent platform like IPL.

    Amid all the excitement, the biggest highlight of this IPL is going to be the return of Rishabh Pant. The actor survived a near-fatal road accident in December 2022, and his incredible recovery over the last 14 months has been a miraculous one. How National Cricket Academy has helped Pant get back to match readiness against all odds is perhaps the best example of BCCI money being put to great use.

    Pant is leading the Delhi Capitals side, and their first match is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, at Mohali. We can expect a roaring reception to a special talent, who first got noticed via the IPL itself, before making it big at the international stage. I won’t be surprised if he makes this IPL his very own, to announce a comeback we have all been waiting for. Game on!

  • Has been signed as the new face of ‘Cheeky Singles’, Star Sports’ special weekly

    Star Sports collaborates with YouTuber CarryMinati for IPL 24

    As the countdown to IPL 2024 begins, Star Sports has collaborated with YouTuber and content creator, CarryMinati aka Ajey Nagar. The 24-year-old Delhi-based creator, who is popular for his expletives-laden satirical roasting videos, has been signed as the new face of ‘Cheeky Singles’, Star Sports’ special weekly show that captures the fun side of the sport.

    The show is being written by Vishal Dayama, who has worked with CarryMinati on some of his previous YouTube sketches.

    Notes a communique: “With a long-term vision to transform sports broadcasting, the collaboration will marry CarryMinati’s authentic brand of sharp humour and strong youth connection with Star Sports’ vast cricket viewership, promising an unprecedented viewing experience. The first episode airs on March 21, 9:30 pm, on the Star Sports Network.”

     

    Now will CarryMinati minus all the abusive words lose his following on Star Sports?

  • For Tata IPL 2024 season opener: CSK vs RCB

    Star Sports unveils promo film featuring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff

    Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Tata IPL 2024, unveils promo film featuring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff.

    The season opener will be between the reigning champions Chennai Super Kings gear up to face off against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Bollywood real action heroes Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, who will also star in the upcoming film ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’, set to hit theatres this EID, April 2024.

  • Television in 2024: A Story of Two Half-Years

    Television in 2024: A Story of Two Half-Years

    Shailesh KapoorIt’s that time of the year, when the General Elections are round the corner. While the dates are not out yet, we may be less than 75 days away from the first round of polling. Even if the outcome seems somewhat like a foregone conclusion, the next three-four months will be full of political and media frenzy.

    One of the direct impacts will be felt on the IPL. The dates have not been announced yet, pending the announcement of election dates. In the past, IPL has moved to outside India during the election years. But it is unlikely to be the case this year, and that could complicate the international cricketing calendar more than just a wee bit.

    It’s a golden period for news channels, who are having a windfall year, which started with the mega Ram Mandir event, before the elections programming takes over. June will feature theT20 World Cup in US and West Indies, a summer bonanza for news media, despite the odd match timings.

    Going by how things have been, there isn’t much new one can expect from our news channels in the coverage of these elections. Innovation in Indian elections coverage came to a standstill about a decade-and-a-half ago, and since then, news channels have focused on speed rather than engagement as the primary target, creating a sense of sameness across platforms, as they battle each other to be first to report new information. Legacy brands like Aaj Tak will continue to hold the advantage, when the content across platforms is differentiated per se.

    Neutrality is, of course, a thing of the past, and not even on the table right now. And a potentially one-sided contest allows news channels to legitimise their bias, as the “voice of the nation”, even if the idea is in direct conflict with core tenets of good journalism.

    It will be more exciting to see how digital news brands manage to cover elections. They do not have the luxury of big budgets that the TV channels have, but seem to have more intent to drive innovation and engagement, which can lead to a few compelling shows.

    Television seems to have become a medium where events, whose existence is outside the television ecosystem (politics, sports, etc.) are driving the buzz, even as content native to the medium (GECs, movies, etc.) remain inert and unexciting.

    The first half of 2024 will do well for television. But it’s from July that the real challenge will begin, of being able to sustain interest in the medium, and the revenue it earns, when the big-ticket events are all over. I’m afraid that we may soon be entering the trickiest phase of Indian television in July this year. More on it when we get there.

  • What is true for cricket is true for other professions, including A&M, where there are clear rules in the case of tobacco, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Can the Spirit of Advertising Help Self-regulation?

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaMaybe it will be easy for the advertising and marketing industry to understand. With so much following for cricket and huge interest in it, with half the population being experts in the field, it should make sense. After all, the industry spends huge sums of money on sports and IPL. The cricketers are the main set of celebrity models that the industry uses and people associate with.

    So, in the third Ashes Test 2023, Bairstow (England) was stumped by Alex Carey (Australia) as he wandered out of his crease at the end of a Cameron Green over. The third umpire upheld Australia’s appeal as the ball was yet ‘not dead’. Stuart Broad hit out at Australia for not withdrawing their appeal – the basis of request- Spirit of the game.

    Now as per the rules of the game, Jonny Bairstow was out. However, Australia could have withdrawn the appeal and called him back in the spirit of the game. They did not. And that’s as simple as that.

    The game is played by the rule and should be played by the rule, not the norms and spirit of the game. And for that, the rules should be simple, straight, not suspectable to differences or misinterpretation and applied equally to all.

    What is true for the game is true for other professions, including advertising and marketing, where there are clear rules in the case of tobacco. Clear expectations and guidelines in case of Insurance, mutual funds, and investments. Simple rules for celebrity endorsement. Rules for liquor advertising and betting and much more. However, some brands ensure that they do everything legally required by them. Morality and ethics are not weighed in. The spirit of advertising and marketing is not evoked as the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) gives guidelines and expectations under self-rule. Something that does not have the bite of legally ensuring compliance.

     

    Do We Need a Law For Everything?

    The question is: should there be a law for everything. Can’t the professional incharge and executing such work take a call? Specific categories need to make moral and ethical calls even after meeting the legality of communication. Unfortunately, it’s a tricky business out there. They clearly are in no mood not to use the escape routes, including the classic surrogate advertising, misinformation, small point disclaimers, and such acts.

    Maybe being professional, the industry demands the practitioner remain brand and market objectives focussed and work within the legal framework. Being alive to the spirit of the work and the brand is not necessarily the industry’s expectations. They will, as expected, take a calculated judgement and withdraw (if they do) an advertisement only after someone complains, ASCI acts or the audience troll them for it.

    Like the Spirit of the Game in Cricket, values, expectations and a code of ethics are defined by the self-regulating advertising industry advertising that can be the difference and an example. But then, no one wants to be setting benchmarks. Everyone is busy and happy creating impact communication within the legal framework.

    And there is nothing wrong with it. Because following the rules is really the spirit of the industry.

     

    Net-net

    If I was to take the preamble of the spirit of Cricket and replace that with advertising, it would/ could read like this. It would make sense but hardly be practical as it will continue to mean different things to different people.

    Advertising, marketing and communication owe much of its appeal, enjoyment and impact to the fact that they should be created, crafted and exposed not only according to the Laws but also within the Spirit of communication. The major responsibility for ensuring fair play rests with the marketing head, brand custodians and their advertising agencies but extends to all players in the ecosystem, creative creators, media, trainers, institutes and the audience that watches them.  

    Self-regulation is central to the Spirit of communication.

    Play hard, play fair with the competition, and respect the audience’s sensitivities.

    Accept the ASCI decision and don’t repeat the mistake.

    Create a positive atmosphere through your conduct, and encourage others to do likewise.

    Show self-discipline, self-regulate, raise voices and object to anything harmful or not in sync even when things go against you.

    Congratulate the opposition on their successes, and enjoy those of your team.

    Communication, Advertising and marketing is an exciting field that encourages leadership, friendship, networking, insight mining and teamwork, which brings together people and help them make decisions when a creative is curated, crafted and created within the Spirit of self-regulation, societal moral, and industry ethics.

     

  • Shailesh Kapoor presents his pick of the five media and entertainment events that headlined the first half of 2023

    6 Months, 5 Headlines: The Year So Far

     

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorWe are halfway through the year today, which is good excuse for a mid-year review. Here’s my pick of the five media and entertainment events that headlined the first half of the year, in chronological order of sorts:

     

    Pathaan: An SRK reboot

    Six months into the year, there’s been only one genuine blockbuster in Hindi cinema in 2023: Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan. The actor made a mini comeback of sorts (his last major hit dates back to 2013 – Chennai Express). Pathaan went on to become the highest grossing Hindi film of all time, both in terms of its opening and its lifetime business. In the process, it also put to rest the presumptuous argument that movie-going will be replaced by OTT. (I wrote about Pathaan and SRK’s superstardom in January in this column).

     

    India Shining, at the Oscars

    India’s brush with the Oscars has been, at best, a case of so-near-yet-so-far. There hasn’t been much to shout about in recent years, except AR Rahman, Gulzar and Resul Pookutty winning Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire (2008). This year, we had not one but two winners, in Naatu Naatu (RRR) and The Elephant Whisperers, and a creditable nomination for All That Breathes. The RRR song even got a stage performance at the Oscars, and there seemed more Indian presence at the Oscars in 2023, than across all previous years put together!

     

    IPL: Bigger by the year

    A long but immensely successful season of IPL dominated viewership, both on linear television and online, in the first half of 2023. The IPL’s ability to grow stronger each year is an incredible one. The league has been one of my go-to topics in this column, and I wrote about it twice this year, at the start and the end of the season.

     

    JioCinema: Free for all

    The IPL was the also the scene of a disruption that not many saw coming, till a few weeks before it: JioCinema, the newly relaunched service from Viacom 18, decided to remove the paywall behind which the league has streamed all these years on Disney+ Hotstar. The platform has followed it up with an aggressive AVOD-led strategy, putting out big theatrical films and a major web-series (Asur 2) as free content. This has set the proverbial cat among the pigeons in the OTT industry in India. There’s unlikely to be a dull moment around, anytime soon.

     

    Cinema of the Right, by the right, for the Right

    While The Kashmir Files stood out as an aberration in 2022, this year saw two major films appropriate the Hindutva narrative. The Kerala Story seemed like a direct inspiration from the success of The Kashmir Files, and did equally well too, and is the second-highest grossing film in India this year so far (across languages), behind Pathaan. Adipurush went the mythology way, riding on the unconditional reverence for the Ramayan in large parts of India. The film opened at staggering levels, but soon went on to become a victim of the very idea it was trying to ride on. Irony, you had me at the vacant Hanuman seat.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is Founder and CEO, Ormax Media. And is a long-standing columnist of MxMIndia and writes on Fridays. His views here are personal.

     

  • There are days when our Wizard with Words agrees with us like today. Here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the June 8 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | In the first few years of the IPL, one looked forward to creatives from the likes of Vodafone or the colas. In 2023, save Dream11, one didn’t find a commercial one could look forward to? IPL fatigue? Or the regulars don’t have monies to spend on advertising?

    Bhaskar DasThere are days when our Wizard with Words agrees with us like today. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the June 8 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

     

    If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

     

    Q. In the first few years of the IPL, one looked forward to creatives from the likes of Vodafone or the colas. In 2023, save Dream11, one didn’t find a commercial one could look forward to? IPL fatigue? Or the regulars don’t have monies to spend on advertising?

     

    A. You have in fact provided answer in your question itself. The reasons are a combination of factors like business sentiments are lukewarm, albeit degrees of impact are different for different sectors, marketing expenses, accordingly, under stringent scrutiny, smart-up funding has been slow or gaming companies coming under government scanner, etc.

    There is no fatigue of concern so IPL is concerned if one goes by audience expansion. Yes, some advertisers might want to avoid clutter but rates per 10 seconds have gone up also. But that does not explain a winter in communication flow as IPL is only for 60 days in a year. So I feel it is the overall business sentiment have contributed to the prevailing drought in campaigns. Hope it gets over soon.

     

  • Not too many of them, but the Amul Butter topicals captured the highlights of the recently concluded Indian Premier LJaeague as only they can

    Utterly Butterly IPL-ilicious

     

     

    Not too many of them, but the Amul Butter topicals captured the highlights of the recently concluded Indian Premier League as only they can. From the CSK win to the stupendous performance of Subhman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal to the Virat Kohli-Gautam Gambhir unground spat.

     

    Created by the team at da Cunha Communications, the Amul topicals have been chronicling the times since 1966.