MUMBAI: The ICC World Cup 2019 fever is at its pinnacle and while most brands are trying to tap into this and create audience engagement, Tonic Worldwide has upped the ante with #TheManGotGame campaign, a social media led gamification experience, for the men’s grooming brand, The Man Company.
The campaign has been conceptualised and executed by team Tonic Worldwide. With its roots in India's passion for cricket, #TheManGotGame is not only a tribute to the gentleman’s game, it is also an initiative to encourage our very own ‘Men in Blue’. ‘The man’ refers to the brand name, and ‘Got game’ refers to the World Cup, grooming and gentlemanly etiquettes.
Two new gentlemanly gestures: #TheBeardShake and #TheManThump, are aimed at supporting the Indian Cricket team during the World Cup. Though the contest is hard on the field, it is rightly played with a sporting spirit and camaraderie. In #TheBeardShake, two opponents (social media fans) walk in front of each other and while stroking their beards they shake hands, thereby promising an honourable game ahead.
https://www.facebook.com/631488936979872/posts/2171705782958172?sfns=mo
#TheManThump signifies that the fans stand by the Indian cricket team and support them - irrespective of the match situation - by giving a thump on their chests as a sign of encouraging the team. The campaign urged fans to share their version of both activities on social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to show their support for the Men in Blue.
The brand has collaborated with some well-known Influencers and celebrities for the campaign.
To drive user engagement further in a gamified format, two online weekly contests were launched on the brand’s social media pages. The #UpYourGroomingGame contest challenges the users to share a specific type of hair and beard style look each week. The second contest, #TheManHeIs, tests the users on their cricketing acumen. The fans are asked to identify various cricketers through their iconic grooming styles. The winners will receive an exclusive World Cup Limited Edition Box, which closely resembles the World Cup trophy and contains TMC products for the men who wish to get their grooming game right. For users who want to elevate their grooming styles, there are a series of tips for them to fashion their hairstyles like various famous Indian cricketers.
The agency also launched thematic real-time posts during various matches. Many trending moments are being picked and portrayed by the brand in its own quirky and humorous tone, thereby establishing another connect with its audiences.
Talking about the conceptualisation of the campaign, Tonic Worldwide business head (north) Akanksha Singhal said, “When we started ideating on this campaign, our key intention was to maintain the core positioning of the brand, as one that supports the ideology of being a true gentleman in all senses. #TheManGotGame is an ode to the true sportsman spirit of the gentleman's game - cricket, and our acknowledgement that those who have their grooming game right are the men who've got game."
The Man Company founder and MD Hitesh Dhingra stated, “Being a gentleman is a journey, something that a man continually strives to be, rather than a destination. With the help of Tonic Worldwide, #TheManGotGame became an elaborate attempt by The Man Company to bring out this facet of the brand positioning and that of cricketers who dedicate themselves to The Gentleman's game, and in the process, guide our users to elevate their grooming game and become a better version of themselves. To take the campaign a notch above, we have also signed with a famous Indian cricketer whose name will not be revealed yet. But we assure you something thrilling and eventful is going to happen soon.”
