Apollo Tyres spotlights Women in Blue in new campaign film

MUMBAI: Before the sixes, the spotlight and the packed stadiums came the long roads, early sacrifices and countless hurdles. Apollo Tyres is turning the spotlight on those lesser-known innings. The tyre maker has unveiled a new chapter of its long-running ‘Har Safar Mein Dum Hai’ platform, celebrating the personal journeys of India’s women’s cricket stars and the resilience that shaped them long before they wore the national jersey.

The campaign features Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Renuka Singh, focusing not on their achievements at the top, but on the challenges they overcame to get there.

At the heart of the initiative is a film that rewinds to pivotal moments from each player’s early years. It revisits Shafali Verma’s decision to cut her hair short to gain entry into boys’ cricket academies, Harmanpreet Kaur’s determination to challenge social expectations, Smriti Mandhana’s inspiration from her brother, Jemimah Rodrigues’ experience training alongside boys, and Renuka Singh’s long journeys to attend practice sessions.

Rather than focusing on scorecards and trophies, the campaign leans into the idea that sporting success is often built far away from the public eye in training grounds, bus rides and moments of persistence that rarely make headlines.

The timing is significant. Women’s cricket in India has witnessed a surge in popularity over the past few years, with growing audiences, sponsorship investments and commercial opportunities transforming the sport’s visibility. Yet many of the stories behind that rise remain relatively untold.

Apollo Tyres said the latest chapter extends the core philosophy of ‘Har Safar Mein Dum Hai’, which has traditionally celebrated journeys as much as destinations.

“This campaign is a tribute to their unwavering spirit and our commitment to championing the values of perseverance and excellence,” said Apollo Tyres Ltd vice chairman and MD Neeraj Kanwar.

The creative approach also seeks to give each cricketer’s story its own emotional identity rather than presenting a single collective narrative.

According to Simran Kanwar, who led the creative vision for the film, the storytelling was designed to feel intimate and personal, highlighting the individual struggles and triumphs behind each player’s success.

Apollo Tyres said the campaign will roll out primarily as a digital-first initiative, supported through Youtube, Meta platforms, digital out-of-home activations, influencer collaborations and social media engagement programmes.

At a time when women’s cricket is steadily moving from the margins to the mainstream, Apollo’s latest campaign serves as a reminder that every boundary crossed on the field was first preceded by barriers crossed off it. Sometimes, the most compelling part of the journey is not the destination, but the road that made it possible.