MAM
Chennaiyin FC announce Nivia as official kit partner
MUMBAI: Two-time Indian Super League (ISL) champions Chennaiyin FC (CFC) has signed sports brand Nivia as the official kit partner on a multi-year deal, starting from the 2021-22 season.
The Indian sports equipment manufacturer based in Jalandhar, Punjab has strong footprints in the football ecosystem in the country, as well as Asia. Nivia had associated with ISL in 2018 with a three-year multi-crore deal as the football league’s official ball partner. It has also worked with national football federations of India, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.
“We are excited to team up with Nivia, one of the most successful sports brands in the football ecosystem in India. This partnership clearly underlines our ascendancy within the sport and will help us widen our reach across Tamil Nadu through their distribution network. We are always keen to associate with brands that share the same passion for the sport as us and we welcome them to the Chennaiyin family,” CFC co-owner Vita Dani said about the partnership.
With shared values and a compelling sporting proposition, coming together of both the brands will go a long way in helping Marina Machans tap the large and passionate football fan base from the region. This strategic partnership will also ensure the club explores various opportunities to develop football in the grassroots further alongside this indigenous brand.
Nivia managing director Rajesh Kharabanda said, “The new season of the ISL is around the corner and Nivia is extremely proud to be kick-starting the association with the two-time champions, Chennaiyin FC. To manufacture the kits for them with the Dhrishti Bommai logo — the symbol of chasing away negativity and bringing the positivity — is an absolute honour. We hope this new collaboration between Chennaiyin FC and Nivia helps bring out the best. Finally, we wish the team all the best for the upcoming season and hope to have an extremely fruitful association over the coming few seasons.”
Nivia will have exclusive retailing rights to CFC’s take-down and replica jerseys, adding pan-India merchandise reach for the franchise across retail and e-commerce channels. The collection will also comprise a fanwear selection of polo tees, shorts, trousers and boots, underscoring both brands’ desire to enhance the collaboration beyond a traditional sports sponsorship model.
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
