MAM
ICC Cricket WC 2011 merchandise goes on sale
MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the launch of the official tournament online store for the cricket World Cup which kicks off next month.
The site, which is being managed by international brand management company IVS Group, will offer a wide range of official merchandise, including T-shirts, polos, caps, key-rings, mini-bats and horns as well as a range of products for children centred around the event mascot, Stumpy.
Visitors to www.icconlinestore.com can shop for official merchandise by product, by team or by range. Purchasing is convenient, safe and secure with Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Laser, Maestro and Solo – all accepted methods of payment.
IVS Group MD Ash Kapoor said, “We are proud to be working with such a prestigious international event as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. It is the third biggest sporting event in the world and we are honoured to be providing the merchandising services this time just as we did at the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009 and 2010.”
The licensing and merchandise for the tournament is facilitated and managed by Licensing In Motion (LIM), the ICC’s global licensing and merchandising partner, and the online store can be found at www.icconlinestore.com with a worldwide delivery service provided.
In addition, IVS Group will also manage the official onsite event sales and will be present at all 13 venues of the ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup across Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. IVS always uses local suppliers and labour, thus generating jobs within the community while minimising environmental impact.
This is one of a slew of activities that the ICC is doing as cricket‘s marquee property draws near. Last week it had released a communication campaign across the sub-continent for the event.
The campaign was conceptualised by the ICC marketing team and Ogilvy Mumbai.
Ogilvy & Mather managing partner Navin Talreja says, “About 1000 matches were played between the last ICC Cricket World Cup and this one. Many tournaments, many cups but a World Cup in any sport has been and will continue to be the pinnacle of achievement. The postioning line ‘The Cup That Counts’ serves as a reminder to all cricket fans of this very simple fact.”
With this in mind, a surround campaign involving not just TV, Print, Outdoor, PR but also last mile mediums such has Digital and Activation was created for India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Sharma said, “This time around we have moved away from the conventional amplification approach of the core idea across mediums. Instead the messaging strategy for
different elements developed reflects different facets of “The Cup That Counts” from the point of view of the teams, players and of course the fans.”
The campaign kicked off worldwide on the first week of this month with the launch of TV commercial titled ‘Tightrope’.
Ogilvy & Mather national creative director Abhijit Avasthi says, “Every country, every player and every fan has only one wish – to win the race to the cup. But this is no ordinary race. Full of obstacles and surprises, to win this race, each player would need to literally walk on a tightrope. Keeping this in mind we decided to use a metaphor and depicted a tightrope race to the cup that counts”.
The ‘Tightrope‘ commercial aims to capture the passion, celebration, competition and fun associated with the game of cricket like never seen before. Shot across the entire city of Jaipur over five days, the commercial ‘features‘ captains from most of the playing nations and over 400 fans from various countries. Professional tightrope artists were flown in from US and UK for the filming of this commercial.
This film has been shot by the Cannes Gold winning director Bob of Good Morning Films and the music has been composed by Dhruv Ghanekar. This launch campaign shall also be supported by print and outdoor, shot by international photographer Palani Chandramohan.
In addition, fans will also get to see another campaign featuring iconic players from the subcontinent.
A series of three commercials starring Sachin Tendulkar, Muttiah Muralitharan and Shakib Ul Hasan respectively, this campaign plays upon a deep personal wish that these cricketing legends are fostering – to bring the cup home. These films have been directed by Piyush Raghani of Old School Films and shall go on air towards end January. This campaign too shall be supported by print and outdoor.
The event‘s theme song ‘De Ghumaa Ke‘ has been released on radio channels across the country. Composed and sung by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, this song brings alive the fierce sense of competition and the desire to win. The same song shall also be adapted in local languages for Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh.
A music video featuring Shankar Ehsaan Loy and ICC CWC 2011‘s Official Mascot ‘Stumpy‘ is also in the works and shall be released by end of this month.
Further, the ICC shall also unleash a slew of contests and below the line initiatives to help spread the CWC 2011 buzz. Across venue cities, Official Countdown Clocks shall be placed at airports and popular malls, uniquely designed ICC CWC 2011 branded vans shall give fans a chance to
share their wishes, radio stations shall run contests to help fans win tickets and much more.
As a part of ICC’s CSR and youth outreach initiative, Ogilvy also rolled out a nationwide school contact programme along with UNAIDS. The programme reached out to eight cities, 70 schools and above 10,000 students who got a chance to learn about Aids awareness and also participate in an Inter School Mini Cricket World Cup tournament.
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
