Pepsi, the official global sponsor of the ICC Cricket World Cup, has unveiled its event campaign, titled ‘Change the Game’. It comprises five television commercials (TVCs), of which two are already on air. The campaign also includes outdoor advertising, consumer-engagement programmes, special-edition packaging, in-stadia amplification and digital-engagement programmes.
The campaign drives home the point that cricket, as a game, has changed over the years with innovations in the way it is played, the culture of the game, and, above all, the way spectators perceive it. Sandeep Singh Arora, executive vice-president, marketing (cola division), PepsiCo India, says, “Change the Game is a big idea in the context of the game of cricket. With this campaign we will inspire the youth to be innovative, take risks, and do things differently. While we are the official sponsors of the ICC World Cup, with this campaign we also want to be the official sponsors of everything that is unorthodox about the game of cricket.”
Interestingly, the last time that India hosted the World Cup (1996-97), Pepsi had launched its game-changing ‘Nothing official about it’ campaign to cock a snook at the official sponsor and its rival Coca-Cola.
Directed by Prasoon Pandey of Corcoise Films, the latest set of TVCs will feature cricketing icons of today and showcase some of their out-of-the-box moves. “Things are in a state of constant change, and so is it with cricket as a sport. Change the Game reflects today’s reality — in the way the game is played, watched and enjoyed the world over and in India. Pepsi wants to stand for everything that is innovative and exciting about the sport — whether it is Virender Sehwag’s ‘upper cut’, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s ‘helicopter shot’, Harbhajan Singh’s ‘doosra’, Tillakaratne Dilshan’s ‘dilscoop’, Kevin Pietersen’s ‘switch hit’ or Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina’s aggressive on-field spirit,” says Singh Arora.
The first TVC presents the story behind Dhoni’s now famous ‘helicopter shot’ — how he learns it from the common man, and then practises it on the field. In the second TVC, Harbhajan Singh reveals the story behind his doosra delivery. In this TVC, Harbhajan Singh is seen learning to bowl the doosra from a college student. Three more TVCs are in the pipeline.
The cola company is running a below-the-line campaign where the cricketers are seen with body painting. Singh, Arora says, “Not just the design but the choice of the colour palette also has a story behind it, which mirrors every cricketer’s character.” Consumers can also tweet or write blogs about their experiences of the campaign. Besides, the brand is inviting entries from consumers on how things like the commentary style, the cheering-up style, the shots and so on can be altered. Eleven best entries will get an opportunity to watch live all the matches India will play.
While JWT continues to be Pepsi’s creative agency, this particular campaign has been executed by Taproot India. “The unplugged face of contemporary cricket is reflective of everything that the youth of today identifies with — it is not the textbook that matters but it is the result that makes or breaks,” says Agnello Dias, creative director, Taproot India.
