India has long been known as a cricketing nation, with sports other than cricket not receiving the attention they deserve from audiences across the country. Despite some progress being made, there is still a long way to go. However, Cadbury Dairy Milk is set to change this notion with its #CheerForAllSports campaign, which involves cricketers. Interestingly, the brand’s Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign, which also features cricketers like Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, encourages audiences to support teams of other sports, such as table tennis, football, and wrestling.
Cadbury has also designed a platform where people can register themselves and get updates about the schedule of various sporting events. Alongside the campaign, Cadbury has introduced limited edition packs. Speaking about the campaign and the idea behind it, Sukesh Nayak, CCO, Ogilvy India, says that people tend to support other sports only after a particular team or athlete has emerged victorious. He gives the example of Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic Javelin throw champion.
Nayak goes on to talk about the 2018 social media post of men’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri, where he urged more people to come to stadiums to watch football matches, just like cricket matches. Cadbury felt it was a great idea that reflected its principles of generosity, and the brand was delighted when they shared the idea with them. It took six months to execute the campaign, along with JSW Sports and Wavemaker.
The spokesperson for the #CheerForAllSports campaign is cricketers themselves, including MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, who have spoken about supporting other sports in the past. According to Nayak, Cadbury, as a brand, has always had a clear insight and direction – “Kuch Achha Ho Jaaye, Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye”.
Cadbury has had a great couple of years from an advertising point of view, with successful campaigns such as #NotJustaCadburyAd, featuring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and the iconic “Kuch Khaas Hai” ad. Technology has been a key factor in all three campaigns, which have a lot of heart to them. Nayak adds that these aren’t just campaigns but ecosystems in themselves.
The #CheerForAllSports campaign has a 360-degree media plan across various touchpoints, including influencers, TV spots during the IPL, and constant reminders about events for those who sign up through SMS and email. It’s an interesting media plan that uses multiple touchpoints, and Nayak hopes the idea lives on, running throughout the year. At Ogilvy, their aim is to create ads that are discussed at dining tables across Indian homes, and when people do that, they feel the job is done.
