7-up: PATTALAM CRICKET

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Sponsorship or Partnership Campaigns

Advertiser: PEPSICO

Product/Service: BEVERAGE

Agency: BBDO INDIA

Date of First Appearance: Mar 10 2011

Entrant Company: BBDO INDIA, Gurgaon, INDIA

Entry URL: http://www.7up.in/

Executive Creative Director: Sandipan Bhattacharyya (BBDO India)

Creative Group Head: Arjuna Gaur (BBDO India)

Associate Creative Director: Anunay Rai (BBDO India)

Chief Creative Officer: Josy Paul (BBDO India)

Account Director: Rajesh Sikroria (BBDO India)

Account Supervisor: Aditya Gupta (BBDO India)

Senior Visualiser: Rakesh Ranjan (BBDO India)

Account Executive: Harsimran Kaur (BBDO India)

Media placement: Outdoor - Chennai, Trichy, Vellore, Madurai - 10/3/11

Media placement: TV Campaign - 2 Spots - Sun TV - 15/3/11

Media placement: Radio Spots - Radio Mirchi - 15/3/11

Media placement: On-Ground Activation - 32 Cities In Tamil Nadu - 23/3/11

Media placement: Online Game - Facebook - 15/3/11



Describe the objective of the promotion.

7UP wanted to leverage its association with the Chennai Super Kings (No.1 IPL cricket team) to connect with the youth in Tamil Nadu.



The expectations from the CSK association were to drive up affinity and sales in a fiercely competitive soft-drinks market.



Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation.

We added a new twist to this sponsorship. We created a new form of cricket - a 7 over, 7 balls, 7 player format of cricket called Pattalam (My Gang) cricket.



Then we invited youngsters across 32 cities to collect seven labels of 7UP and register, to challenge the mighty Chennai Super Kings in this new fun form of cricket.



We deployed this message through TV, outdoor, radio, on-ground activation, and an online version of the game to get the interest going.



1200 league matches later, the winning 'Pattalam' actually played against the CSK and beat them at it!



Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service.

The promotion was distinctive and uniquely ownable by 7UP. We created a game format with 7 players, 7 overs, and 7 balls per over which helped reiterate the 7 connect with the brand.



Besides, this promotion had an instant connect with the youth. No other youth brand had empowered the youngsters from smaller towns and cities to compete at the highest levels in cricket. The fact that boys from the most remote corners of Tamil Nadu could take on a team like the CSK, was in itself a huge motivation to join in.



Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results.

The campaign saw 3,000 teams (7 members per team) register for the playoffs, which meant, 21,000 players took part.



130,000 people were part of these league matches as supporters and participated in contests. Apart from the free media coverage, this 7UP format of the game generated tremendous word-of-mouth in Tamil Nadu during the IPL season. Since the entire campaign was linked to sales (Teams had to collect 7 labels to register), sales of 7UP went up by 30% as compared to the same period last year and incremental sales touched 20.8 million cases, a whopping jump by any standards.