The ICC Cricket World Cup fever is back. Riding high on the cricket wave is Pepsi and now that it is also an official sponsor, the cola major celebrates the new unorthodox yet immensely popular face of modern cricket with a new campaign, titled ‘Change the Game’.
The campaign has been conceptualized by Taproot India, who has been appointed to handle the World Cup campaign for Pepsi. However, JWT India continues to be the creative partner for PepsiCo India.
Client: PepsiCo India
Brand: Pepsi
Agency: Taproot India
Medium: Television
The Brief:
It’s all about change and so is with the sport ‘Cricket’. According to PepsiCo India, their tagline – ‘Change the Game’ – is not a notion but a reality that is reflected in the way cricket is played, watched and enjoyed the world over and in India today. Through the metaphor of cricket, it salutes the Youngistaanis, who within themselves have found the power to defy tradition and pave their own way by not breaking the rules, but by changing them.
Explaining the objective, Deepika Warrier, Marketing Director, PepsiCo Beverages, India, said, “Pepsi has always been closely associated with youth platforms such as cricket; and ICC Cricket World Cup is the single biggest event that unifies millions of passionate Youngistaanis. Our ‘Change the Game’ campaign celebrates the same passion and the new age mantra of cricket, which is irreverent, unorthodox, fun, challenging and unmistakably Pepsi.”
She further said, “PepsiCo is one of the global sponsors of the ICC Cricket World Cup and we have created an innovative package for brand Pepsi to leverage this mega event. We are confident that the campaign thought of ‘Change the Game’ will appeal to the youth and inspire them to be the game changers in their own lives.”
Speaking on the thought process of the campaign, Agnello Dias, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Taproot India, said, “Pepsi has always been the fearless voice of uninhibited youth; a belief that needed to be interpreted even as the official partner of the event. Only Pepsi could turn this official status on its head by standing up for the brave new, unorthodox face of the modern game. The unplugged, organic face of contemporary cricket is a reflective of everything that the youth of today live by. That it’s not the textbook that matters, but the result is at the end of the day, because the game can always change.”
The Execution:
Featuring some of the cricketing world’s biggest superstars, the campaign includes a series of ad films that will showcase out-of-the-box moves that are not text-book and yet help achieve the ultimate goal. Irreverent and youthful in spirit, these films promise to bring alive the passion Youngistaanis share for the game, both on and off the field. The first film as part of the campaign revolves around Indian team skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s famous game changing move – the Helicopter Shot.
The campaign is produced by Corcoise Films and directed by Prasoon Pandey.
The Final Product:
Supporting the on-air initiatives is the eye-catching off-air campaign with cricketers in a never-seen-before painted body look. The new body painted look is youthful, fresh and symbolic of the individual player’s passion for the game. Covered only with a layer of colourful body paint, the cricketers’ images reflect their energetic and unique persona on the field. Each design and choice of colour palette has a story behind it, which mirrors the athlete’s character.
The campaign is being launched across various mediums and channels to ensure complete 3D activation across all verticals. It will be supported by a 360-degree approach, including thematic ATL and outdoor, consumer engagement programmes, special edition packaging, in-stadia amplification and digital engagement programmes.
Xpert Comments:
So, how does the industry professional view the latest TVC? Nilesh Vaidya, Executive Creative Director, Euro RSCG India, commented, “A watchable film, but didn’t really surprise. In fact, the only thing that got me thinking was the sign-off. Will Coke do a ‘nothing official about it’ number now?”
Our Take:
It’s the Cricket World Cup and knowing how cricket-crazy Indians are, one can only expect a World Cup campaign being larger than life, especially when it comes to a cola major like Pepsi. However, though ‘Change the Game’ idea is fresh, somewhere the X-factor is missing. But here’s hoping that the overall 360 campaign has some good surprises in store.
Read More >> ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Cricket World Cup Schedule
