Lay’s #YehGameHiHaiTasteKa Helps India Fans Watch Cricket World Cup Games

PepsiCo snack brand Lay’s is leveraging ICC World Cup fever in India with an integrated campaign that gives cricket lovers ideas on how to make sure they don’t miss the matches despite the fact that they are being played at awkward times of day in India.

As part of its global status as the official beverage and snack partner of the ICC, PepsiCo (and thus Lay’s) is an official sponsor of the Cricket World Cup 2015 – the sports four-yearly 50-over international tournament which is taking place in Australia and New Zealand and thus most live matches are being broadcast between 3.30am and 12 noon for Indian fans.

So Lay’s ‘Yeh Game Hi Hai…Taste Ka’ campaign, developed by JWT, not only recognises and endorsers India’s love for the sport, but also aims to capture just how crazy people get when it comes to catching the games despite the dilemma of their mismatched timings.

The campaign – which was directed by Ravi Udyawar of RU Films, stars Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, Pankaj Kapur and Lisa Hayden and features a soundtrack written by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Dhruv Ghanekar of Wah Wah music – initially launched earlier in 2015.

The creative sees Ranbir teaming up with a group of ‘Lay’s Best Buddies’ to help people get out of mundane situations to watch the matches by using the wide array of Lay’s chips flavours as baits.

The activation is one of the biggest ever Indian campaigns in the recent times.

It was led by a series of TVC spots showing frustrated cricket fans stuck at offices and colleges while the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is on air.

But Kapoor solves their problems by demonstrating different ways to get out of sticky situations using the great taste of Lay’s – thus helping cricket fans enjoy the match with their friends.

Each commercial depicts a different playful scenario and cricket watching solution and they all end with Kapoor saying, ‘Ye Game Hi Hai…Taste ka’.

Sumati Singh, VP and SCD at JWT Delhi explains that it was the morning telecast timings for the ICC Cricket World Cup that led the team to the idea behind the campaign.

In addition to the TV work, the campaign engages consumers across multiple touch points – all of which aim to bring the matches closer to consumers.

The 360-degree initiative blends outreach and engagement plans across multiple media vehicles including radio, print, retail and digital.

The digital element includes an emphasis on match-related mobile and Twitter work as so many people are expected to be engaging with the cricket matches on-the-move.

"Missed the moments of today's game? Aa raha hoon mai to save you kyunki #GameKaHero is my name!" – #GameKaHero [http://t.co/3WkmJAxi5v]

— Lay's India (@Lays_India) March 10, 2015

The work also includes a consumer competition strand offering a chance to win prizes that range from LED TVs to tickets to matches in Australia.

@Lays_India #TicketKaGame 9th contestant ready for the ticket hunt .. pic.twitter.com/Bvs5QTYKCJ

— Anuradha Chhabra (@freeky9219) February 28, 2015

‘As the media consumption is increasingly fragmenting, this campaign will reach consumers across multiple touch points,’ adds Mindshare Principle Partner Ruchi Mathur.

‘With seamless integrations and activations across traditional and emerging media, Lay’s will create multiple viewing opportunities and bring the World Cup closer to its consumers.’

Here’s another contestant getting ready to watch the #CWC15 final LIVE! Will he make it in top 4? #TicketKaGame pic.twitter.com/65ktiH1Qkm

— Lay's India (@Lays_India) February 28, 2015

Comment

This Lay’s campaign neatly reflects the parent brand’s umbrella mission statement for its ICC alliance.

PepsiCo is the official beverage and snack partner of the ICC and as part of its passionate commitment to growing the popularity of the sport, the objective of the PepsiCo partnership is to ‘enable billions of cricket enthusiasts and casual fans to connect with the game’.

Thus PepsiCo works with the ICC in the development and execution of a series of cricket events and grassroots programs that are typically supported by innovative advertising and marketing campaigns to embrace consumers worldwide – but particularly in India.

In India Lay’s is a brand that speaks to (and targets) the youth (late teens and young adults) so the playful nature of the campaign seems appropriate.

But it also aims to appeal to all generations across the nation – after all, nothing unites India quite like cricket.

‘Cricket has been a great unifying factor and the fever that grips India is unmatched,’ explains PepsiCo India marketing VP Vipul Prakash.

‘As the official snack partner of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Lay’s gets the perfect opportunity to start the year through a scale marketing campaign that sees Lay’s spin on the powerful insight of mismatched timings to appeal to the consumers. We are enabling consumers to enjoy the game of cricket using the great taste of Lay’s.’

‘The campaign idea brings together the love for Lay’s and love for the game of cricket,’ adds PepsiCo Indian’s director and category marketing head Rajiv Mathrani.

‘We are capturing a very pertinent insight of mismatched timings of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and how the love for Lay’s will help consumers get away from sticky situations and help them watch the match.

The challenge of activating around an event taking place in an overseas market with timezone complications is an ongoing challenge to international event sponsors.

It will be something currently facing those planning Australian and New Zealand campaigns for the upcoming 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

Solutions to the timezone problem at the previous Rugby World Cup include O2’s clever ‘Get Up For England Breakfast Giveaway’ campaign (see previous case study).

Links

Lays India YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRRBSnNpHcl8bBfoS743Sw

Lays India Twitter

https://twitter.com/Lays_India

@Lays_India

#YehGameHiHaiTasteKa

Lays Facebook India

https://www.facebook.com/laysindia

JWT Delhi