MAM
Red FM takes outdoor route to create election awareness
MUMBAI: With an aim to encourage people to vote in the general elections 2014, Red FM has associated with the Election Commission of India. The idea behind the association was to motivate people to vote in the upcoming general elections. Red FM has been supporting the Election Commission of India in urging people, especially the first time voters, to come out on the polling day, and press the button of the voting machines to elect the 16th Lok Sabha.
Red FM has been running campaign titled, “Dabaa Ke Bajaa” to reach out to the masses. Dabaa Ke Bajaa has Red FM RJs represent themselves as youth ambassadors of the Election Commission of India, in their respective cities. One RJ per city who is the youth ambassador takes up the responsibility of the entire population in his or her city and gets them on board as a part of the electorate who will pledge to vote this time. A series of on-air and on-ground activities are being done to engage with the listeners on the same.
For the outdoor leg of the campaign, Red FM took DDB MudraMax on board to handle their OOH innovation. They have installed huge hoardings with integrated digital LED pledge-meters that reflect the number of people who have pledged to vote. The hoardings are located at strategic junctions. The number keeps changing real-time, and is a cumulative of the number of pledges received on SMS, calls, Facebook application and the tablet application that volunteers are taking to people.
The meter which keeps ticking, denotes the exact number of people who have pledged to go. These hoardings have been taken in five locations including, New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Pune.
Commenting on this innovative marketing initiative, Red FM, GM- marketing, Rajat Uppal, said, “Dabaa Ke Bajaa is our attempt at channelizing the energy of people in all parts of India into one simple, and yet difficult act- pressing the button on the voting machine! We have partnered with the Election Commission of India to increase the voter turn-out in the upcoming General Elections. The digital hoarding and the pledge-meter have proved to be highly successful in getting people to pledge to vote, and in reminding them of their responsibility till the D-day. As a brand we have always tried to innovate and this is yet another innovation which stands out amongst the clutter of OOH. DDB MudraMax has executed the project very well. We have also been amplifying the campaign with several on-ground initiatives across the country.”
“We have been proud of creating spectacles which generate word of mouth for RED FM constantly. This was an important one to get the country to stand up to a cause. An Important cause”, mentioned, DDB MudraMax OOH, retail and experiential, president, Mandeep Malhotra.
MAM
Times of India launches SFI Expo for sports, fitness and infrastructure
New exhibition to bring together stakeholders across India’s growing sports ecosystem in July 2026.
MUMBAI: The Times of India is stepping onto the field with a brand-new playbook this time, not with ink and paper, but with a full-scale exhibition that promises to score big for India’s sports industry. The Times of India has announced its entry into the exhibitions business with the launch of The Times of India Sports, Fitness and Infrastructure (SFI) Expo. Set to be held in July 2026 in New Delhi, the expo aims to create an integrated platform that connects the entire value chain of sports, fitness, technology and infrastructure.
Powered by 187 years of credibility across print, digital and experiential media, TOI is positioning the SFI Expo as a major collaborative hub for sports enterprises, infrastructure companies, government bodies, fitness and wellness firms, athletes, innovators and communities.
The exhibition will cover everything from planning and building world-class sports facilities to enabling advanced training environments and performance solutions, with a strong focus on innovation in training, recovery and technology.
Speaking on the initiative, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. (The Times of India) president for eesponse & brand capital Surinder Chawla said, “India is entering a dynamic new era. Both traditional and new sports are growing exponentially. Government initiatives such as Khelo India and Fit India are nurturing young athletes and steadily strengthening India’s imprint on the world sporting arena. This exhibition aims to unite stakeholders across the sports value chain and help accelerate India’s journey towards a robust, world-class sporting ecosystem.”
Designed as an annual platform, the TOI SFI Expo will facilitate dialogue, partnerships, knowledge exchange and investment opportunities, supporting the development of a more inclusive and future-ready sporting landscape in India.
From match reports to match-making for the entire sports ecosystem, The Times of India is now extending its legacy of influence from the newsroom straight into the arena. With the SFI Expo, TOI isn’t just covering the game, it’s helping build the stadium, the training tech, and the future of Indian sports.
