IPL Carnival: DON'T JUST WATCH

Credits & Description:

Advertiser: MAX
Agency: JWT INDIA, IPAN HILL & KNOWLTON
Category: Celebrity Endorsement
Art Director/Creative Director: Manash Parui (JWT Mumbai)
Art Director: Vidhi Shah (JWT Mumbai)
Writer/VP/Sr. Creative Director: Steve Mathias (JWT Mumbai)
Writer/Ecd/Sr. Creative Director: Priya Pardiwalla (JWT Mumbai)
Director: Rajesh Saathi (Keroscene Films)
National Creative Director: Senthil Kumar (JWT Mumbai)
Business Head/Sr. VP: Ashish Medhekar (JWT Mumbai)
Sr. VP/Planner: Shaziya Khan (JWT Mumbai)
National Creative Director: Swati Bhattacharya (JWT Mumbai)
National Creative Director: Tista Sen (JWT Mumbai)

Campaign Description
IPL (Indian Premier League is India's biggest domestic cricket event). The 'Don’t Just Watch' campaign by official broadcaster Max, brought fresh excitement to IPL viewers. Persuading viewers to abandon their passive watching experience. In a scenario, threatened by cricket fatigue due to an overdose of matches, this campaign enabled the channel to have its highest ever viewership of 154 million viewers in just the first 3 weeks, gaining 17 million viewers versus the previous year. Led by Farah Khan, Bollywood’s No.1 choreographer, the campaign re-defined ‘active viewing’. The celebrity choreographer specially designed 3 unique dance steps for the 3 high points in cricket: 4, 6 and wicket. Farah asked the whole nation to not just watch, but dance and celebrate every 4, 6 and wicket.Wherever Farah went, she made everyone dance the steps - this created LIVE PR moments on air and on ground. Generating free media coverage worth 6.5 million USD. Awareness impact included 11,000 plus user generated videos online. 300,000+ new fans joined the Max Facebook page. 300,000 caller tunes and ringtones of the IPL anthem downloaded. Street dance classes activated in 21 cities. IPL 2013 has reached 168 million viewers in 4 weeks ie. 4 million more than 164 million viewers achieved in full 9 weeks in 2012. Sponsorship doubled to 12 sponsors compared to 6 last year. 80% of the advertising inventory was sold before the start of tournament. 3 moves became a nationwide move-ment!

Strategy
The strategy was to celebrate the unique entertainment value of IPL.Everything about IPL is unapologetically thrilling. The short duration of the matches, auctions of the players, the cheerleaders, the camera coverage, the banter of commentators etc. The point of departure was to suggest that if the property itself was so effervescent how could its viewing not be entertaining too? The campaign strategy was telling the country that passive viewing is NOT an option. Leading the charge was Bollywood's most popular choreographer. Baton in hand, she literally makes the nation dance and celebrate everytime there is a 4, 6 or wicket. The addictive tune and three new dance steps got everyone onto the floor. There's even an armchair option for couch potatoes!

Relevancy
Due to an overdose of cricket on TV, interest levels in IPL were falling. Cricket fatigue led to passive viewing and falling viewership. The need was to create a buzz and re-energise viewer engagement with the brand.

Execution
Duration: Feb - April 2013 PHASE 1 – Pre IPL: As a press conference first, India’s best celebrity choreographer herself danced at the Max IPL press conference. The journalists present danced too! On air, instructional videos, out of home and print ads urged people to get ready to dance.PHASE 2 – During IPL: On the day of the launch, April 3, a full page ad with match schedule followed by a blitz of 7 films in which 'ladies who lunch', male executives, families, couch potatoes, and others were surprised by a visit from the choreographer commanding them to dance while viewing IPL. Mall, cinema and housing society activation programmes also followed. On the playing field, cheer leaders of all 9 different teams, did the unique IPL dance moves during the match and was viewed by millions on television and in the stadiums.

Effectiveness
Output/Awareness: Free media coverage worth 6.5 million USD. 11,000 plus user generated videos; 200,000 downloads of IPL's ‘Jumping Japang’ app, ranked one of the top 5 entertainment apps in the andorid platform. 300,000 plus new fans added to the Max Facebook page; 300,000 caller tune and ringtone downloads, street dance classes activated in 21 citiesAction/Business Impact: IPL’s highest EVER viewership of 154 million in the first 3 weeks. Gained 17 million viewers versus previous year; IPL 2013 has reached 168 million viewers in 4 weeks ie. 4 million more than 164 million achieved in full 9 weeks in 2012. Sponsorship doubled to 12 sponsors compared to 6, last year. 80% of the advertising inventory was sold before the start of the tournament thanks to phase 1.

Client Brief Or Objective
The goal was to increase viewership of IPL by driving active engagement with the 3 dance steps created by Farah Khan. The 3 dance steps triggered live content creation which would attract PR and more viewers. The more people watched IPL, the more they would dance and get involved with the game. The specific goals were to achieve:1. Free PR worth 5 million USD. 2. Viewership of 150 million people in 4 weeks (10% increase over the previous year viewership of 137 million) 3. Get more sponsors for the IPL.