MUMBAI: Even as the cricket World Cup fever is on, Multi Screen Media (MSM) is gearing up for the next big cricket tourney - the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 and advertisers are flocking to it nineteen to the dozen.
The tournament starts right after the World Cup. Speaking on advertisers reaction so far, Multi Screen Media president Rohit Gupta says, “We have got amazing responses so far and the way it’s shaping up, we may have to extend our ad inventory. We already have our two presenting sponsors in Vodafone and Amazon. It must be noted that Amazon has upgraded itself as a presenting sponsor and it’s an encouraging example. The seven associates are Hero Moto Corp, Cardekho.com, Intex, Vimal Pan Masala, Pay TM, Pepsi and we have one more advertiser who has confirmed its participation. Hero Moto Corp, Cardekho.com and Vimal Pan Masala are first timers and it proves the growing interest of the tournament.”
Sony Max and Six have already launched India Ka Tyohaar campaign for IPL’s 2015 edition. The campaign, which has been orchestrated by DDB Mudra, speaks about unity and celebration, and portrays IPL as a festival that is followed by one and all irrespective of caste, communities and creed.
Way before the campaign launch, Gupta had told Indiantelevision.com that ad rate for the 2015 edition will be hiked by 15 per cent and MSM has successfully managed to achieve the figures.
“As decided, we have hiked our ad rate by 15 per cent and the hike was not on the basis of arrogance or overconfidence, it’s because we had a seven per cent increase in viewership. We have already sold 65 per cent of our ad inventory and we are in last stage talks with many companies. IPL is a tournament that consistently delivers in terms of meeting viewership expectations and advertisers are presented a platform for the entire tournament. IPL is not a tournament where fans have to wait for a week’s time to have a good match. Moreover all the IPL matches are played in prime time and each and every match has equal interest. The growth of viewership is constant in each and every match unlike World Cup where non India matches failed to garner viewers so far. Overall IPL is an insured platform for advertisers where whatever may happen viewership never declines.”
Talking about the campaign, Sony Max senior EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas says, “IPL is beyond any barrier; it’s a huge event that connects everyone. A family that has members of different generations sit together to enjoy the cricketing extravaganza, which has nail biting finishes and entertainment to satisfy everyone’s need. We are our biggest competitor and the only challenge for us is to do better than what we have done in our previous editions. We did aisa mauka aur kahan milega in 2012, which we followed up with Jumping Japang and Come on bulava aaya hai in the following years. But this year we are going to be better than any other year.”
MSM is known for aggressive marketing of IPL, which is their biggest asset and this year is no different. “We have spent 15 per cent more than previous year for the India ka tyohaar campaign,” informs Vyas.
DDB Mudra chairman and chief creative officer Sonal Dabral is satisfied with the progress and the feedback received so far. “India ka tyohaar is something that everyone has been missing. Festivals in India are based on religion and region. IPL is one such festival where everyone participates in the celebration,” Dabral tells Indiantelevision.com.
When queried about the other campaigns that are already buzzing, Dabral says, “There will always be a flurry of creative campaigns and it’s not about what others are doing. You have to understand the brand and then come up with a creative concept. Mauka is a good and creative campaign but India Ka Tyohaar is different and it will emerge as the testimony of all campaigns.”
Sony will launch an interactive digital campaign to connect with youth on various social media platforms. The broadcaster is going to feature the 2015 edition of IPL in different languages and there will be a regional awareness initiative to promote the multilingual strategy.
The anthem of the campaign has been composed by musical duo of Salim - Sulaiman, who hope to get everyone to dance to the anthem of Pepsi IPL 2015. “With Pepsi IPL that reflects the fervour of the nation and an idea as powerful as ‘India Ka Tyohaar’, we tried to create a song, which is very Indian in its spirit but yet has the sound of 'The Now'. Once we had the lyrics we composed the tune and created a rhythm around it which is the beat of our folk music and festivals all across India. The song is infectious! We hope the audiences will celebrate the music and this festive spirit of the Pepsi IPL across the globe,” the duo said.
When asked if composing music for a tournament of such high magnitude is different and difficult from feature films and music albums, Salim Merchant told Indiantelevision.com, “After composing Chak De nothing seems to be difficult anymore but it is indeed different. The tournament will be watched in each and every household and the audience is across age groups. While we ensured that the song pumps up, we also took care that the unifying factor, which is the USP of the campaign, is kept alive.”
Stretching across a four-week period till the launch of the tournament, the Pepsi IPL 2015 campaign will have a complete 360 degree rollout across mass media. The communication will be seen by viewers across mediums like television, print, radio, digital, outdoor, on-ground, mobile and BTL.
