Olyv launches billboard campaign featuring brand ambassador Sourav Ganguly

BENGALURU: Olyv wants India to look up, quite literally, and see Dada vouching for its loans. The digital lending platform launched a fresh out-of-home campaign built around long-standing brand ambassador Sourav Ganguly, plastering his face across high-footfall hubs nationwide from 1 July.

The timing is no accident. The launch was pegged to Ganguly’s birthday on 8th July, a nod to what Olyv calls a genuine bond between the brand and the former Indian cricket captain. The pitch itself leans hard on nostalgia and grit: Ganguly’s reputation for resilience and leadership is meant to mirror Olyv’s promise of dependable credit for India’s hard-working, emerging consumer base.

The billboards land backed by fresh muscle. Olyv recently closed a Series B funding round, and this campaign forms part of a broader 360-degree marketing push, following an earlier award-winning outing with Ganguly last year.

“This campaign highlights Olyv’s commitment towards democratising credit access, serving as a reassuring reminder that simple financial support should be for everyone and is always accessible, which I believe Olyv is doing brilliantly,” said Sourav Ganguly, brand ambassador of Olyv.

The physical push complements an app already doing brisk digital business, with a 4.7 rating on the Play Store and more than four crore downloads. By moving from screens to streets, Olyv is betting that visibility in daily life will do what app installs alone cannot: build trust among aspiring consumers still wary of digital lending.

Rohit Garg, co-founder and chief executive of Olyv, framed the campaign as part of a longer game. “Our partnership with Dada remains a strong pillar of Olyv’s journey. As we enter our next phase of growth, this campaign marks another step towards expanding our reach, fostering deeper customer relationships, and empowering more people to build healthier financial future,” he said.

Formerly known as SmartCoin, Olyv has been in the lending game since 2016, working with RBI-registered lenders to serve underbanked self-employed and salaried Indians. The ISO-certified app has clocked over five crore downloads across more than 19,000 pin codes, backed by a team of over 500 professionals and a trophy cabinet that includes recognition from the World Economic Forum and Forbes.

Dada spent a career converting big moments under pressure. Olyv is now hoping some of that reputation rubs off on billboards, one high-footfall junction at a time.