Pepsi’s Blue Billion and SRK cheer Team India to victory
Early Sunday morning, Pepsi’s ‘Blue Billion Express’ train left Delhi to cheer the Indian cricket team in Jaipur. On board were Pepsi brand ambassadors Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra, the Pepsi family, senior honchos from its creative agency JWT. And of course the media in full strength.

It was an unusual event. Early Sunday morning, on October 15, 2006, Pepsi’s ‘Blue Billion Express’ train left Delhi’s Safdarjung station to cheer the Indian cricket team as it took on England in the ICC Champions Trophy match in Jaipur. On board were Pepsi brand ambassadors Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra, the Pepsi family and senior honchos from its creative agency JWT. And of course the media in full strength. Pepsi India Chairman Rajeev Bakshi flagged off the train.
The 11-bogey special train was done up in blue and white, with the catchline of Pepsi's current ad campaign -- "Oooooh Aaaaah India, Aaaaah Yaaaaa India!" -- written on it. The platform looked like a set from a Bollywood set with blue and white balloons adorning it, and girls and boys dressed in Pepsi colours dancing to the catchline’s tune. The enthusiasm overrode much of the disorganisation and chaos of the unique event.
Said Punita Lall, Pepsi India’s Executive Director-Marketing, about the unusual initiative, “Cricket is a religion in India and has always witnessed strong emotions from the country’s billion-strong population. We believe that the Pepsi Blue Billion campaign has provided the people a great platform to voice support for the Indian team. I’m sure this effort will go a long way in strengthening Pepsi’s association with cricket.”
Why is it called blue billion? Said Lall, “Blue is the colour of the Indian team, and also that of Pepsi. Billion signifies the cricket fans who number one billion in India.”
Lall elaborated that the Blue Billion campaign has a 360-degree approach. It includes print, TVC, outdoors, Internet, events, etc. There will be a series of commercials featuring the jingle to support and cheer the Indian cricket team. Cricketer Saurav Ganguly and Bollywood’s Badshah Shah Rukh Khan and Shreyas Kalpade have all featured in the Blue Billion commercial.
Said Lall, “We have also launched a cricket dedicated website, www. bluebillion.co.in, created in partnership with Yahoo! The website has been a big hit with close to 2 lakh visitors. We have also brought out a Pepsi music video and CD created in partnership with BMG. There was a consumer promotion done by us with the winners getting a chance to be part the Blue Billion Express.”
A great cricket fan himself, Shah Rukh Khan said, “Indians are the biggest fans of cricket. This campaign is about the fans, their passion. It is not about the cricketers or the stars that endorse Pepsi. England has always had a cricket anthem. Now, with "Oooh-aaah India…”, it is our attempt to provide an anthem to the Indian fan.”
As the Blue Billion Express rode swiftly towards Jaipur, SRK told the media that it was important to encourage our youth to plays sports as it helps build team spirit. He said, “I think games should not be glamorised, but commercialised. There should be enough money in sports, so that we can have professional sportspersons. No parent should be able to question the choice of a child's decision to become a sportsperson.”
Comparing a cricket match to a Bollywood film, SRK said the tension was the same in both. “Before the match is played or before the movie is set for release -- there is this big question mark about the end result.”
A special feature of the train was a cricket museum created inside it, displaying exclusive cricket memorabilia such as the ICC Champion's Trophy and a cricket bat belonging to Sachin Tendulkar. The entire history of Pepsi was also on display.
At the end of the day, Pepsi made a statement, and Team India beat England. Oooh-aaah India!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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."
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