Nike and ICC World T20 2016 host nation India have rolled out the launch campaign promnoting the team’s tournament kit led by the tagline ‘Chase Greatness’
The Portland based US sportswear giant, the official apparel sponsor of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), believes that ‘a special tournament calls for a special attire’ and unveiled the new strip for both the India men’s and women’s cricket teams on the Thursday before the competition opened.
The campaign was led by a launch event, a press push and assorted imagery featuring the members of both the teams wearing the new kit.
India men’s team captain MS Dhoni and women’s team captain Mithali Raj fronted the event and the imagery and assets also feature other stars including Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and others.
‘At every stage, the meaning of wearing India jersey changes,’ added Mithali Raj.
‘When you are the senior player, you have everyone on your shoulders and you can’t let them down. When you are a debutant, you are playing for yourself and all those people who have made you a player. It is different, but when I don the signature blue kit, I carry it proudly, believing I will win.’
‘Wearing the kit, going out there and playing for my country – it’s an overwhelming feeling, which is almost impossible to express in words. But whenever I wear the kit, I believe I’m a hero,’ commented leading men’s batsman Rahane.
While India’s familiar blue remains the core kit colour, the new jersey features graphical flow lines and disruptive optics, a newly moulded BCCI crest and a unique laminated collar which displays the design’s ‘Asian influences’.
Nike also states that the jersey is made from 100% recycled polyester and the four-way stretch gfabric is made using cutting-edge laser technology.
Both men and women will be wearing the kit from 15 March.
The social strand of the launch initially saw BCCI post a kit campaign team photo on Twitter (which racked up 1.5K Likes within a few days) and on Facebook.
While the Nike side of the campaign comes complete with a Nike web hub (http://news.nike.com/news/the-legacy-and-future-of-team-india) that explores the legacy and future of team India
This multi-media piece spans India’s rich cricket history, passion, camaraderie and discipline and how the team’s one billion fans look to their national heroes not just to inspire the country, but also to unite it’s societies, cultures and generations.
India’ cricket kit has evolved over time,
and the Nike site features the stories of the kit, the game and of some of the country’s top stars.
‘Cricket has become so much more than a sport. It’s completely embedded into everyday life because of the sheer emotional investment in the game, which is both profound and intimidating,’ explains national men’s side batsman Ajinkya Rahane on the Nike site.
‘Everyone wants us to win, but more than that everyone looks to us as examples of success and greatness, as if we are the anomaly. The truth is, we worked hard to be here, and in the next T20 it could the kid playing cricket in the streets after school who takes my place. Greatness is innate as long as you have the will to go after it.’
While an online interview with vice captain Virat Kohli sees him say: ‘Previous legends of the Indian cricket team taught us how to fight, how to become competitors on the international stage and inspired us to do the same. The current team is dedicated to winning, we are all very critical of ourselves and that honesty is the major strength of the team. We know we have the technical ability and talent, if we can be consistent, we have a chance of winning.’
The women’s team is also heavily present on Nike’s digital platform – led by fast bowler Shubhlakshmi Shaarma who is quotes as saying: ‘Cricket has taught me discipline, how to focus on what I want to achieve and to grab my dreams with both hands. I think that’s the unique power of sport – that it teaches you a lot about life without you realizing it. How to work hard, how to be part of a team, be respectful and many more things.’
Links
BCCI Twitter:
BCCI Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IndianCricketTeam
BCCI Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/indiancricketteam/
BCCI Vine:
https://vine.co/u/1157619203986554880
BCCI Website:
Nike Cricket Web Hub:
ICC Cricket T20 World Cup:
