iWorld
Star’s ‘Mauka’ campaign drives YouTube’s views in Q1
MUMBAI: With a whopping 10 million views, Star India’s ‘Mauka Mauka’ ad campaign for the ICC Cricket World Cup earlier this year, has been the second most watched campaign in the first quarter of 2015 on the video platform YouTube.
The campaign comes second only to Gillette’s ‘the best a fan can get’ ad campaign.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 was a money raker in Q1 2015 as advertisers flocked to the tournament. With India’s stupendous performance throughout the World Cup, it was indeed one of the most important moments of the year. However, a lot has also changed since the last edition of the World Cup in 2011. For example, there are more users now on the Internet, social media commentary drives live entertainment and the match is played both on field and off the field across the Internet. Keeping the third reason in mind, YouTube India came up with the top trending ads of Q1 and cricket was the flavor of the quarter.
A number of users lapped up campaigns built around the gentleman’s game. With the UGC around Mauka Mauka garnering a total of 10 million views only went on to prove the power of YouTube as a platform that can amplify the reach of a campaign through endemic content.
The third campaign making it to the list was the Boost Cricket Anthem – Hey Champion, Stay Champion. The fourth in the list is the innovative #LiveItAbhi campaign undertaken by FMCG brand Pepsi.
Ranbir Kapoor and Saavn Cricket World Cup 2015 ad featured on Valentine’s Day came in fifth followed by Pidilite. The Sony Bravia TVC called The Most Colourful Cricket Experience stood at the seventh spot while Cricket Face Paint campaign by Google+ took the eighth spot.
The #YehGameHiHaiTasteKa brand campaign by Lays was at the ninth spot while the tenth spot was taken by the Micromax Unite Cricket Anthem 2015.
As per the report, the list suggests that users love content that is built around things that they are passionate about, in this case cricket.
“As a marketer, when these big sporting moments occur, one wants to be there for people, helping them have the time of their lives before, during and after the game — not just waiting for a break in play to get a word in,” states the YouTube India report.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
