Gulf Oil India leveraged the IPL 2023 season and its official partnership with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team through the ‘Gulf Fan Academy’: an interactive gaming platform hosting a series of immersive and entertaining cricket challenges for fans ands promoted through an integrated, player-fronted campaign.
The platform, running live on the MyJio app, offers a series of IPL linked cricket games through the season – ranging from batting and fielding challenges, trivia questions, plus word scrambles and searches – which incentivise participation through a series of daily, weekly and end-of season rewards and which offer players opportunities to earn extra reward points by purchasing Gulf products with on-pack codes.
The initiative will distribute around 20,000 prizes through the IPL season: these range from free internet data, food delivery vouchers, signed merchandise, match tickets and even a chance to play alongside their cricket idols.
The games also enable players to share their personal positions on the leader boards with their friends and family through social media platforms.
The activation was developed in harness with agency DDB Mudra and promoted through multiple spots starring the brand’s cricket ambassadors: including MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Smriti Mandhana and the entire Chennai Super Kings team.
These videos were used to drive awareness of and participation in the Gulf Fan Academy across several media platforms: including Jio Cinema, the Jio Ad Network, as well as across several social media platforms (including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube).
These films rolled out across India from 8 April with call-to-action to join the academy which drives consumers to click through to the web platform to sign up.
“We are excited to launch the Gulf Fan Academy for all the cricket lovers across the country,” explained Gulf Oil India CEO Ravi Chawla at the campaign launch. “IPL is the biggest cricketing extravaganza in India. Instead of just plain visibility for the brand, we believe the Gulf Fan Academy will add a fun element and help us engage with our customers, mechanics, and retailers during this cricket season. Through Gulf Fan Academy, the winners will get an exciting money-can’t-buy experience, playing a game of cricket under the mentorship of Indian cricketing legends like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Smriti Mandhana, and CSK players”.
DDB Mudra Group President of Integrated Media Rammohan Sundaram added: “Gulf Fan Academy is creating an unparalleled experience for cricket fans by leveraging social integration, gamification, and advertising on live feeds in this first-of-its-kind integrated marketing effort. The unique experience will give fans the opportunity to participate in games, win match tickets, mentorship by the Chennai Super Kings’ players, and all 3 brand ambassadors of Gulf.”
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The Gulf Fan Academy sets out to connect the brand to existing and potential new customers through an incentivised, cricket-themed gaming experience. This further expands Gulf’s existing links to cricket and to sport.
Owned by the Hinduja Group, Gulf Oil is committed to including sports as a core pillar of its marketing mix as illustrated by previous cricket campaigns such as its Covid-19 related 2020 animated athlete ambassador ‘New Way Forward’ campaign and its sponsorship of F1 team Gulf Williams Racing.
The brand has long been a sponsor of CSK and has also backed several other IPL franchises since the league began as it sought to leverage the game and the tournament which dominant the Indian sporting landscape and reinforce the synergy between the IPL and the brand’s values of quality, endurance and passion.
This dates back to 2008 when Gulf Oil partnered with Kings XI Punjab and player ambassador Yuvraj Singh. Continued in 2011 when the company became an associate sponsor of the Chennai Super Kings and player ambassador MS Dhoni. Then, in 2016 Gulf partnered with the Rising Pune Super Giants.
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