iWorld
Airtel releases a report on the mobile attitude of people in 2013
MUMBAI: Mobile phones have certainly made our lives very easy. From surfing the details of the favourite celebrities and looking for the chartbusters to downloading wallpapers and popular songs, mobile users are doing everything over the phone.
And keeping this in mind one of the leading telecommunications company, Bharti Airtel, which has operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, released Airtel Mobitude2013 – the 5th edition of the Indian annual survey that captures the mobile attitude of customers highlighting their preferences.
The report reveals that mobile TV, Bollywood, Hello Tunes, Re 1 entertainment store and gaming ruled customer preferences. Mobile TV witnessed the highest traction this year with a whopping 400 per cent plus jump in viewership over last year. Viewers were glued to entertainment channels most to catch up on all their favorite TV shows and this witnessed an unbeatable traction of over 800 per cent over sports and about 200 per cent over news.
Bharti Airtel (India) chief marketing officer consumer business, Govind Rajan said in a release: “Today, while the mobile phone is an indispensible 24X7 companion for customers across age groups and geographies, each individual’s preferences and usage requirements differ. Mobitude captures these trends to bring out the true reflection of the customer’s likings and usage habits. The verdict this year has interesting findings of the preferences of more than 194 million customers across the country!”
Interestingly, the preference of viewers shifted in terms of Bollywood content. In the imagery downloads category, heartthrob Sunny Leone won hearts to top the charts beating Bollywood divas including Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. Breaking the records of the past five years, the young newbies in the industry dethroned the most popular ‘Khans’. Bold spirited actors – Sunny Leone, Sherlyn Chopra and Poonam Pandey emerged as the most downloaded, surpassing the total downloads of their male counterparts. While Ranbir Kapoor tops charts in the male category in the imagery download, Bollywood’s hottest celebrity Katrina Kaif who topped charts for four consecutive years is out of the top five league. On the other hand, Aamir Khan continued to be out of top 5 for the fourth consecutive year.
In Hollywood, the beautiful preggies Megan Fox and Drew Barrymore made it to the top downloaded in the female category and unlike their Bollywood counterparts, Hollywood hunks Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise are defying age to top the download charts.
In terms of songs, Indians preferred romantic songs over the filmy item numbers. Customers are now humming the romantic number Tum Hi Ho of the movie Aashiqui2 making it the most popular download in the Bollywood Hello Tune category. Other songs like Jeene Laga Hoon from Ramaiya Vastavaiya with newbies in lead roles trend more over songs with popular celebrities. Even Priyanka Chopra’s hit international track Exotic was among the most downloaded English songs.
In the sports category, Sachin Tendulkar ruled charts with a whopping 124 per cent jump in download compared to last year followed by Roger Federer. Our other men in blue – Dhoni and Yuvraj however were bowled out from the Top five league to give way for women power with Serena Williams, Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal who joined the wagon this year.
Driven by the popularity of the Airtel Re 1 entertainments store, data usage continues to grow at a fast pace. The number of data users jump 124 per cent from last year and data consumption jumped 220 per cent.
iWorld
Uber spotlights Rs 25 bike rides with music led IPL campaign
Uber uses 15 second music films with Divine and Roll Rida to push Rs 25 rides
MUMBAI: In a season where ads usually swing for sixes with celebrity spectacle, Uber has chosen to play a clever single sharp, fast, and straight to the point. Uber has rolled out a distinctly stripped-down IPL campaign, putting its product Uber Bike rides starting at Rs 25 for up to 3 km front and centre, rather than leaning on big-budget storytelling. The campaign features hip-hop artist Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in southern markets, using music as the primary vehicle for recall.
IPL advertising has long been dominated by high-production narratives packed with cricketers and film stars. Uber’s approach flips that playbook. Instead of elaborate storytelling, the brand opts for 15-second music-led films quick, rhythmic bursts designed to mirror the pace of urban mobility itself.
The message is deliberately simple, affordable, fast rides that cut through city traffic. No layered plots, no extended build-up just a functional promise delivered with cultural flair.
In the Mumbai-led film, Divine zips through traffic on an Uber Bike, turning the Rs 25 price point into a hook with his signature wordplay around “pachisi”. The campaign cleverly reframes affordability as a moment of delight, the kind that leaves commuters with a “32-teeth smile” after beating traffic at minimal cost.
Meanwhile, Roll Rida’s version leans into southern sensibilities, blending Telugu and Tamil influences with high-energy visuals. Set to the beat of tape drums, the film celebrates how low-cost rides can unlock a more connected and vibrant city experience. Together, the films reflect a conscious push towards regional authenticity, rather than a one-size-fits-all national narrative.
The campaign also signals Uber’s sharper focus on India’s growing bike taxi segment. While the company offers multi-modal services spanning cars, autos, metro integrations and intercity travel, this push zeroes in on two-wheelers as a key growth lever in dense urban markets.
By anchoring the campaign around a Rs 25 entry price for short distances, Uber is targeting everyday commuters, particularly younger users navigating congested cities where speed and cost matter more than comfort.
With IPL advertising clutter at its peak, even the most straightforward message risks getting lost. Uber’s answer is to embed the proposition within culture using music, regional nuance and repeat-friendly short formats to drive recall. The creative team has also layered subtle visual cues including multiple references to “25” within frames encouraging repeat viewing and reinforcing the core message without over-explaining it.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in advertising priorities. As attention spans shrink and media environments get noisier, brands are increasingly favouring clarity over complexity and speed over scale.
Uber’s IPL play may not shout the loudest, but it lands where it matters in the everyday commute. Because sometimes, in a marketplace full of grand narratives, a Rs 25 ride is story enough.
