MAM
BBDO creates BlackBerry’s new ‘Action’ campaign
MUMBAI: BlackBerry has launched a new advertising campaign in Asia Pacific focusing on the spirit that drives the Asian youth – action.
Created by BBDO India, the campaign capitalises on the truth that BlackBerry has always been about making things happen, the company said.
BBDO India chairman and chief creative officer Josy Paul said, “It all started when Sunil Dutt, the new head of India operations for RIM asked us the all important question ‘What does BlackBerry stand for?‘ We developed the idea that every BlackBerry is born for action. There‘s an inherent urgency for action built into it. Look at the red splat that appears every time you get a message. The sign refuses to go away until you take action. The first thing we do when we wake up in the morning is check for the red splat. That‘s how we created the launch ad ‘Action now has a symbol‘ and the brand line ‘Action starts here‘. That‘s what differentiates BlackBerry from other mobile phones.”
Bringing the red splat to the forefront leverages one of the brand‘s properties that consumers connect to.
“It‘s what we call a useful idea. We all have things we talk about doing. We hope the idea will inspire people to stop sitting on the things they‘ve been wanting to do,” BBDO India CEO Ajai Jhala added.
The new red splat that resides in every Blackberry phone will now be the symbol of action. The symbol is an integral part of the ‘action‘ campaign that will run across all touch points including TV, print, OOH and digital.
MAM
Star Sports under fire for ‘cringe’ India–SA Super 8 promo
Broadcaster accused of arrogance and disrespect as fans slam Super 8 promotion
AHMEDABAD: Star Sports is facing a wave of criticism after its latest promotional campaign for the India–South Africa T20 World Cup Super 8 match triggered a fierce social media backlash, quickly dubbed “Cupcakegate”.
The advertisement, released this week, hinges on a cupcake metaphor that many viewers have condemned as patronising and disrespectful. In the clip, an Indian supporter mockingly offers a pink cupcake to a South African fan, a visual jibe widely interpreted as portraying the Proteas as a soft, easily beaten opponent.
The backlash has been swift across platforms such as X and Reddit, with fans and commentators accusing the broadcaster of tone-deaf bravado at a crucial stage of the tournament. The criticism is sharpened by the context: both India and South Africa arrive in the Super 8s unbeaten, undermining any suggestion of a one-sided contest.
Online, the cupcake symbol has been read as carrying multiple barbs. Some users argue it alludes to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic nickname, while others see it as recycling the long-running “chokers” trope associated with South Africa in ICC tournaments. The casting choice has also drawn scrutiny, with viewers noting the physical disparity between the actors playing the two fans, which critics described as a cheap attempt to belittle the opposition.
Even Indian supporters have joined the pile-on. Many warned that such chest-thumping marketing risks “jinxing” the team, pointing to past tournaments where aggressive campaigns preceded unexpected defeats.
Star Sports is no stranger to rivalry-led advertising, having struck gold with its earlier “Mauka Mauka” series. But analysts say the cupcake campaign misreads a fanbase that has grown less tolerant of overtly mocking narratives and more attuned to sporting parity and respect.
India and South Africa meet on Sunday, 22 February, at the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium. With South Africa securing their Super 8 berth through a commanding win over the UAE, the fixture is widely billed as a heavyweight clash, not the walkover the ad appears to suggest.
