MxMIndia

Tag: RuPay

  • High frequency seems to be a substitute for creative content in IPL 2023 advertising, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    IPL16 ads: They don’t make ’em like it anymore

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaI am a loyal IPL follower, and I watch the match telecast every evening. The quality of telecast and the options for the viewer have increased exponentially. However, that cannot be said for the ads telecast on IPL. Watching them makes me overtly nostalgic. In earlier IPL seasons, the brand and agency people invested much more effort into crafting and developing the advertisements. It is much more about media muscle and frequency than the craft today. Somewhere high frequency seems to be a substitute for creative content.

    IPL 2008, the first edition, had everyone excited. It was expected to become the Super Bowl equivalent for advertising in India. Today, IPL is one of the richest sports leagues, with two months-plus of excitement and engagement, delivering eyeballs and loyal enthusiasts on digital and TV. IPL advertising almost defines the advertising spending trend for the nation. It should be common sense that the brands wanting to exploit the IPL matches across the season need multiple creatives to avoid overexposure and audience apathy. Unfortunately, the advertisements hardly reflect the thinking. The advertisement content and creative lack high engagement. It makes me think- They don’t make them like it anymore.

     

    IPL- everything is not lost.

    A few brands stand out in the scores of brands trying to effectively use the IPL platform across TV, OTT and Digital.

     

    RuPAY

    RuPay, with its UPI plus credit card communication, is an excellent example of focused communication. All three advertisements are interesting and engaging. The ‘Silver Helping Hand’, ‘Catch Expert- Chaos in Museum’, and the ‘Slippery Spy- mole’ are fun to watch and communicate the message.

    Unlike the Tata Tiago example of reasons to go for an E-SUV, which may not be the best and most effective way for the brand. Do people still need reasons to buy an electric vehicle!

     

    DREAM11

    DREAM11 has been consistent through the IPL seasons and has always worked on ‘All will play’. This season is no different. The brand continues the good work. The Bollywood and cricketers’ interactions as opponents in the game are engaging and funny. ‘Lal Singh’, ‘You don’t go for awards’, ‘Dialogue Delivery’, ‘Viral’, ‘All is well’, ‘Duplicate‘, ‘Lagaan’, ‘Riaaz’ and ‘Retake‘ are a few of the ads. Hope to see more situations in the rest of the matches.

     

     

    MYCIRCLE11

    MyCircle11 has also done well with its ‘Second prize 1 crore- toh pehla prize kya hoga‘ communication, continuing the Giant theme and format. However, the situations and the excitement are missing as the idea becomes a prisoner of the format. And for some reason, the 2023 videos are unavailable, and even the site showed Jeeto 1 crore everyday campaign in 2021.

     

    AMAZON

    The ‘Aaj Amazon se kya Khareeda’ series is another set of communication that makes the point while engaging the audience. It slowly builds on categories- the order size and common everyday items.

     

    IPL ADS- ALL-TIME FAVOURITES

    All of us will have different advertisements telecast with IPL seasons as favourites. Here are the ads that stand out. If I have missed some really good ones- do let me know.

     

    VODAFONE ZOOZOO

    The Vodafone ZOOZOO would rank as an all-time favourite of all IPL ads. The way the ads were conceived, executed, released, and the build-up was well planned and executed. In fact, they were produced and timed with the IPL season.

     

    AMAZON CHONKPUR KE CHEETAHS

    My other favourite of mine has been Chonkpur ke Cheetah by Amazon. Even today, in the Amazon ads, telecast on IPL16, the brand is extending the same- similar concepts like A-to-Z, Aapni Dukan, and a platform for everything, including your everyday items. Chonkpur was another instance and example of IPL-specific communication. The slow unveiling of the journey of Chonkpur ke Cheetah was well planned and executed, keeping the excitement high.

     

    CRED – NOT EVERYONE GETS IT.

    When the ‘Cred – Not everyone gets it’ series started, it had a mixed reaction. But, the way the series progressed and the brand kept unleashing fresh creative starring another popular celebrity, it grew on you as an audience. A well-thought-through and executed campaign.

     

    SWIGGY, NO ORDER IS SMALL.

    Swiggy and Zomato both exploited the audience’s interest in watching the telecast. They have offered various schemes to make people order during the matches. However, what stands out are Swiggy ads of ‘No order is small’ and ‘What is the score’. It also introduced the actor who became known as Swiggy Uncle and was featured in many more TV films.

     

    ADD-ON

    Not IPL Ad- but the Kid-adult format by FLIPKART was an engaging experiment killed by overexposure and format constraints.  Another series that was engaging and interesting was Voltas Murthy.

    Similarly, Make My Trip’s consistent use of celebrity Alia, and Ranveer Singh continues to be superbly executed with its own fun quotient while delivering the message. However, that cannot be said for Ranbir Kapoor – Asian Paint ads which lack engagement- proving that consistent use of celebrity is not the solution and the content remains the king.

     

    NET-NET

    Want to associate with IPL and exploit the platform? Then the brand must understand that the ads are the real breaks and the interruption in the audience’s interest. And the season is long, and the media cost is too high to associate. The brand message should be simplified and relayed to the audience through multiple creatives to keep the engagement levels up and excitement with the brand. Do invest in creative development and execution even at the cost of losing out on frequency of exposure. An excellent /Good creative exposed less number of times is a far better proposition than a mediocre/average creative exposed many, many times.

    Just for the suggestion watch this ever favourite ad of mine. Ericsson One Black coffee ad.

     

  • Brands need to work extra hard to be counted and associated with the property, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Clean Bowled! Brands not doing justice to IPL

    Picture source: BookMyShow.com

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaIn 2018, I wondered if IPL could ever be the Super Bowl of India? With the IPL then attracted – it was a natural question. The last few years have demonstrated the expectation was hugely misplaced. 10 team format, suspect performances of marque teams and legends, high media cost, and fragmented audience, IPL has lost the chance of ever being Superbowl of India, at least in terms of advertising, media and communication.

     

    This year ads breaking on IPL have left much to be desired, and I am surprised that some of them even made it to the screen. It places a big question mark over creative, strategic, media and clients and their decision making.

     

    It always makes sense to invest in creativity. And more so when the associated media cost is as high as 14-16 Lak per 10 seconds. Good advertisements help in enhancing media efficiencies and resultant ROI. IPL is still the event to bank on. An excellent creative exposed less frequently is far better than a mediocre creative released more frequently. That’s the truth and not a secret. Everyone knows it, yet only a few seem to believe and act on it.

     

    There is a concern about IPL dropping viewership, and everyone has their list of probable reasons. But, IPL is still the Superbowl equivalent in India but fails to get the brand and creative attention and excitement.

     

    We have had our own share of excellent ads exploiting the opportunity IPL presents. One cannot forget Vodafone ZooZoos, Amazon Chonkpur cricket team, and Flipkart Kids. Initial ads from Dream11 were refreshingly fresh, and Airtel took creative leaps time and again. Even the Cred frenzy we have seen is a good example. However, in 15 years of IPL, creatives that became the talk of the town and a subject of discussion across the nation have been few.

     

    Even the high media cost and sponsor’s share of the time have not stopped brands. Some 84 new brands advertised in the first 30-odd games of IPL. Not much can be said for their creativity. The ads don’t grow on you, but they tire you and fast become a blind spot.

     

    FOGG still makes sense with their multiple situations. Dream11 had a dream until one realised their thinking seemed illogical. MyCircl11 used a creative device for your attention and then fizzled out. Cadbury, with ground staff focus, stands out but is not really a surprise; they have been exploiting opportunities, and IPL was no different. On the other hand, brands like Kamala Pasand, Vimal are mere passengers- you did not expect much other than adding the list of celebrity endorsers. However, the title sponsor’s Tata Neu has also disappointed in its pre-launch and post-launch ads.

     

    It is time for the client and the agency to re-evaluate their strategic investment in the game. Re-evaluate their media vs creative cost and time weights, including the number of edits and films they need to make to properly exploit IPL. The brands need to work extra hard to be counted and associated with the property.

     

    The audience comes to watch their teams and favourite sportsperson perform. Ads will always be an irritant. The challenge remains to create advertisements that the audience will engage with and want to watch. I think only Vodafone ZOOZOOs or Amazon Chonkpur scaled these heights and set the benchmark. And no brand has come near Vodafone in terms of exploiting the opportunity.

     

    All have read the pitch right. Brands in IPL need to be sustainably disruptive with their communication and creative device for desired audience engagement and ROI. And the media data does not really capture this essence, and IPL alone cannot do the magic for the brand.

     

    We have had a few brands attempting creative devices to capture audience imagination, taking disruption to heart. And few like RuPay wasting away the opportunity, and the ads are not hilarious.

     

     

     

  • It joins the League as Technical Timeout Partner

    Gulf Oil comes on board as official partner for RuPay Pro Volleyball League

    By A Correspondent

     

    RuPay Pro Volleyball League has joined hands with Gulf Oil who has come on board as Technical Timeout Partner.

     

    Talking about the collaboration, Ravi Chawla, Managing Director, Gulf Oil said: “We are delighted to be associated with the RuPay Pro Volleyball League. Gulf Oil’s passion for high performance products and excellence resonates with India’s first ever-Pro Volleyball league and we hope that Indian audience will enjoy this high-energy sport wholeheartedly “.

     

    Added Joy Bhattacharjya, CEO, Pro Volleyball League: “Gulf Oil is a very prestigious brand. Their association with sports like cricket, football and motorsports is very well known to everyone in the country. I am glad that they have seen an opportunity in the sport of volleyball and have chosen the first ever pro league as an avenue for association.”

     

     

  • The League will begin on 2nd February with a clash between Kochi Blue Spikers and U Mumba Volley

    RuPay associates with Pro Volleyball League as a Title Sponsor

    By A Correspondent

     

    RuPay, the payments gateway from National Payments Corporation of India, has acquired the title sponsorship rights of Pro Volleyball League, that is set to start on February 2.

     

    An initiative of Baseline Ventures and Volleyball Federation of India, the league will now be called the RuPay Pro Volleyball League in its first season. Expressing his delight on this association, SVP – Marketing, NPCI, Kunal Kalawatia said: “RuPay, is the preferred card for 60cr Indians and 1100+ banks issue a RuPay Card today. Volleyball is a great team sport and already played across the length and breadth of the country. Like RuPay powering the digital payments initiative, we believe that Pro Volleyball league will bring this sport to the forefront and connect the nation with a common spirit. With RuPay Pro Volley Ball League we want to celebrate the power of a young and healthy India.”

     

    Talking about the development, Tuhin Mishra, Co-Founder & MD, Baseline Ventures, said: “We are delighted to have RuPay come on board as the Title Sponsor of the league. It is great to see that RuPay has invested in a sport that is fast-paced, exciting and perfectly matched for our young and dynamic nation.  The Pro Volleyball League aims to start a volleyball revolution to match the digital India revolution that RuPay is leading. And to help us in this endeavour, we couldn’t have found better partners than RuPay.”