From Vivo to MakeMyTrip, brands put their best foot forward for IPL

Brands cash in on the annual cricket carnival with big budget campaigns and product launches

With just a few weeks to go for the Indian Premier League 2019, title sponsor Vivo launched its latest model Vivo V15 Pro, a premium range smartphone, with Aamir Khan as brand ambassador. And as the first matches of the league played out, Coca-Cola released its #SayItWithCoke 2019, part of the cola brand’s global personalisation campaign. Ranbir Kapoor and Paresh Rawal helm the narrative in these ads. Tata Motors, an on-ground sponsor for IPL this year, is using the tournament to promote its recently launched SUV, Harrier. With young Bollywood actors as brand ambassadors, the campaign has been launched on television and online as a series of short films under the tagline 'Love at first drive'.
 
Big stars, big campaigns and new product launches, the IPL attracts a virtual smorgasbord of brands every year. And this year, the show seems bigger than ever, as everyone, from consumer durables and auto to cola and travel brands, is turning over every trick in the book for a slice of the 700-million-odd reach (as per previous year’s estimates) that the cricketing spectacle commands.
 
The IPL, say marketing experts, is a big event in every advertiser’s calendar. It offers brands a quick entry into homes that would otherwise be beyond the pale of their marketing initiatives. It not only opens up a vast portion of the country for nearly a month, but also allows brands to be a part of the celebratory frenzy that cricket generates in the country.
 
Marketers say that their association with the tournment has been cemented  on the basis of the huge response garnered by earlier initiatives. Vivek Srivatsa, head of marketing, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, “The first year of our association with the IPL proved to be a game changer for Tata Nexon. Through the campaign for Harrier, we want to capture the audience’s attention in a manner that is both clutter breaking and eye-catching.”
 

Vivo's ad

The Harrier will be showcased across stadiums and will be a part of the IPL properties, ‘Harrier Super Striker’ and ‘Harrier Fan Catch’, the company said. Siddhant Chaturvedi (Gully Boy) and Fatima Sana Shaikh (Dangal) are ambassadors for the brand. For Vivo, Aamir Khan is the chosen one. Vivo is not only the on-ground title sponsor for the IPL this year, but also a broadcaster partner for Star India.
 
Brands say they want to be a part of the advertising blitzkrieg around the IPL as it offers them access to a huge audience. Young and old male viewers as also women, according to data from BARC for earlier IPL tournaments, are glued to their screens for most of the season every year.
 
The numbers and the theatrics around IPL also make it a habit hard to break. Vodafone, for example, has been a steady presence for years. It launched its iconic Zoozoo campaign in one of the early editions and since then, even though it is not a part of the official sponsors list, it has used the occasion to promote its brand. This year, it has the Vodafone FANtastic Breaks contest that will run through the season.
 

Coca-Cola's ad

Similarly Swiggy that debuted last year with memorable ads promoting its all-weather and all-size delivery service is back with a new feature on Star’s OTT platform, Hotstar that allows viewers to order  without exiting the platform. Hotstar also has Amazon Pay, and Dream 11 on its list. Kavita Nair, chief digital transformation officer and brand officer, Vodafone Idea said, “Launched last year, ‘Unofficial Sponsor of Fans’ was a huge success as it was led by consumer insight and emotions and helped us engage with our customers in a meaningful way. This year we are making a bold move and going digital only.”
 
Travel booking portal MakeMyTrip, with Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt as brand endorsers, has launched a fresh campaign to highlight new service features. Saujanya Shrivastava, group chief marketing officer, MakeMyTrip said, “There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to hotel choices for Indians, whether you are traveling for business or are holidaying with family, your needs and peeves differ. As India’s one-stop travel shop we have incredible amount of insights on what elevates the hotel booking and stay experience.”
 
The IPL is increasingly seen as the best stage for brands looking to convey their value proposition, new features and everything else to a wide range of viewers—be it in terms of age group or geography. It has turned into a brand platform too big to ignore say advertisers.