Can Star Sports mass-popularise kabaddi with Pro Kabaddi League?
The channel has launched an aggressive & glamorous promotional campaign for the League in an attempt to recreate the lost glory of the game. Does kabaddi have the potential of appealing to the youth & getting as many eyeballs as cricket in India? exchange4media finds out

The much talked-about Pro Kabaddi League launched last week, is being promoted by celebrities all across the country. While Kabaddi has some recognition in the international arena, it fails to connect with the Indian youth of today. Given Star Sports’ attempt to recreate the lost glory of the game, does kabaddi have the potential of getting as many eyeballs as cricket in India?
Star Sports released an aggressive promotional campaign for the league. The 60 match tournament will be telecast across STAR channels. With an initial launch of 10-second teasers with the tagline #Guessthegame, the campaign moved on to releasing over 15 TVCs including teasers, mini reveals and thematic campaigns, created by Ogilvy & Mather. The network also roped in Salman Khan as part of the promotional campaign, a co-promotion for his movie Kick.
“It was no longer cool and this was our biggest challenge.” Through the ‘Life is Kabaddi’ campaign, Ogilvy and Mather attempts to engage the youth at an emotional level with this intrinsically Indian game to make them see the game in a whole new light, said a spokesperson from Ogilvy.
The campaign
“The ‘Life is Kabaddi’ films are a take on how situations in life are akin to playing a game of Kabaddi. Often you may face unpleasant or unfair situations in life but success/ victory goes to those who don’t give up. We juxtaposed such unpleasant/ unfair situations to a game of kabaddi – where one ‘raider’ enters the enemy territory alone, fends off multiple defenders and returns unscathed to his home team. We depicted two relatable life situations – precious home-made food in a hostel under threat from bullies and littering in the park,” the spokesperson from Ogilvy stated.
Two videos were released on television, where the main thought was to draw a parallel between the spirit of the game and life. The first video showed how a group of elderly men together taught a lesson to a young guy who littered the streets and made him aware of his mistake. The second film shot in a school campus showed how a young boy being bullied by his school seniors, stood up to them. The two films were launched during the pre-show of the England-India Test series on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 3, which exposed the Kabaddi league to a large cricket frenzy audience.
Fineprint
The League, which was flagged off on July 26, is promoted by industrialist Anand Mahindra and commentator Charu Sharma. It has franchise owners such as Radha Kapoor, daughter of Rana Kapoor, the chief of YES Bank; actor Abhishek Bachchan, media magnate Ronnie Screwvala and banker Uday Kotak.
The campaign is targeted at the eight franchise cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Patna, Pune, Vizag, Jaipur and Bengaluru. Aggressive hoardings have been used to drive the campaign’s visibility in all these cities. The League has also booked spots on FM radio stations such as Radio Mirchi and others for the radio campaign which features an anthem composed by Dhruv Ghanekar.
Expert Speak
Ananda Ray, National Creative Director at Rediffusion Y&R, says, “Kabaddi, the sport, used to conjure up images of small groups of people playing the sport on a dusty field, with very few onlookers. These commercials not only bring some much needed glamour (since, often nothing legitimizes something like sheen does), but capture the danger, skill and thrill of this contact sport. The fact that the way they are shot fit into the typical ‘sport ad’ genre is perhaps deliberate – to give it as much legitimacy as one would, say, basketball. I had one quibble, however. That the two commercials play like two different edits of the same ad. See one, see both.”
Looks like Kabaddi is all set for a roaring image makeover. Its commercial success, now, depends on how young India treats the campaign.
Watch the videos here:
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp