MAM
Airtel campaign pits Sachin against SRK
MUMBAI: Mobile service provider Airtel is conducting a marketing campaign that involves two superstars Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood badshah Shahrukh Khan.
The first of its kind showdown campaign kicked off a few days ago. It covers all 21 circles of Airtel. This campaign will give an opportunity to Airtel’s existing and new (postpaid and prepaid) customers of all ages, backgrounds and regions to come together, join the team play with their favorite superstar, Sachin or Shahrukh.
A customer needs to use his Airtel mobile phone and dial 646 or send an SMS “sd” to the same number to select their choice of star. Depending upon an Airtel customer’s mobile usage, rewards in the form of “Tickets” are earned by them. A lucky draw of 150 winners would then be taken out of these tickets. The more the number of tickets earned by an Airtel customer greater are his chance to be a part of the winner list.
The Airtel Showdown will last till 30 April 2005. Every Airtel circle will announce 100 lucky winners every fortnight from each of the 21 circles and the selection will be at random on the basis of a computer based lucky draw. There will be three fortnightly draws resulting in a total of 300 lucky winners for the regional finals in each circle. From these 300 winners in every circle, each circle will select at least six winners on an average at the end of six weeks on the basis of a lucky draw resulting in a total of approximately 150 finalists divided equally into Team Shahrukh and Team Sachin.
The 150 finalists will be taken to Mumbai for the grand finale to team up with Sachin and Shahrukh. At the finals these 150 winners would be split into two teams and they will participate in fun filled games under the captaincy of the stars.
The Airtel Showdown campaign has been backed by extensive internal research findings. Research data clearly suggests that primarily Bollywood and cricket drives the Indian consumer segment and forms the most popular inspirational icons of self-expression for people of all age groups across the country.
Qualitative and quantitative studies have shown that Shahrukh Khan’s core values of being a self made actor with his success and glamour and Sachin Tendulkar’s dedication, innocence and performance today are seen as a driver of self-identification amongst the masses. All the core values of the two superstars have emerged as a clear brand fit for Airtel, which stands for leadership, trust and innovation leading to a clear connect between Airtel and it’s customers. What makes these values even more relevant is its “All India” appeal, quite like the “All India” footprint of Airtel mobile service.
Bharti Cellular chief marketing officer and director Atul Bindal said, “Our research has shown that the most popular, inspirational icons for the Indian consumer happens to the two Airtel brand ambassadors – Sachin and Shahrukh. This motivated us to devise Airtel Showdown an innovative marketing programme. The whole construct of the initiative seeks to bring our customers, now spanning across all the 21 circles to come closer to brand “Airtel – the largest GSM network in the country.”
MAM
India wins big at the 2025 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards
The Womb and McCann India take home Global Grand Effies, putting Indian advertising on the world map
MUMBAI: Indian advertising just had its moment. At the 2025 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards, the most rigorous test of marketing effectiveness on the planet, two Indian agencies beat out campaigns from over 130 markets to claim Global Grand Effies, the sport’s equivalent of a world championship medal.
The Womb won for Piramal Finance with a campaign called “NEEYAT: India’s Real Credit Score,” a purpose-led push that took direct aim at systemic bias in the credit sector and reframed how creditworthiness is measured. McCann India won for ESAF Small Finance Bank with “Saving Her Savings,” a campaign centred on financial inclusion for marginalised women. Both wins came from a shortlist of 47 contenders, all of whom had already won gold or grand prizes in their home markets. Only 11 Global Grand Effies were handed out across seven markets. India got two.
The highest honour of the night, the Iridium Effie, awarded to the single most effective marketing campaign in the world, went to eos Products and Mischief @ No Fixed Address for “Women’s Shave.” Remarkably, it was their second consecutive year taking the top prize.
Other global winners included Oreo and Mondelez International for “Oreo Codes” in commerce and shopper marketing, Flamin’ Hot and PepsiCo for “Poker Face” in experiential marketing, and ALDI Australia for “Shop ALDI First” in retail.
The Best of the Best is no ordinary awards show. Entry is restricted to campaigns that have already won a gold or grand Effie at a national level, making it, in effect, a champions’ league of marketing effectiveness. Indian agencies are no longer just brilliant at cracking local markets. They are now setting the global standard.
The world’s best advertisers had better start paying attention.
