Champions Trophy: Hype or hyper? India-Pakistan clash puts ads on the boil

New Delhi: Advertisers are racing against time and competitors to buy the few available advertising slots for Sunday's India-Pakistan match at the Champions Trophy in Dubai, pushing 10-second ad rates to ₹50 lakh-double the rates for other matches, media executives said.

Regular advertisers such as Coca-Cola, Mother Dairy and RedBeryl are also looking to score big with new campaigns during the marquee match which, according to Mother Dairy managing director Manish Bandlish, "is set to capture the undivided attention of the entire nation."

"The India-Pakistan match has the ability to overcome inertia and lack of budgets from advertisers," said Sam Balsara, chairman of media and marketing company Madison World.

"Being a weekend, this is the main draw of the tournament," he added. An executive at a large media buying company said ad rates for this match "are going at a 100% premium compared to rest of the Champions Trophy." Coca-Cola, an ICC global sponsor, said it is debuting a fresh campaign on match day. Company spokesperson said it will offer "a first-of-its-kind interactive 'halftime' experience."

RedBeryl said it is releasing a campaign called 'MakeItBlue' to cash in on the hype. The luxury services provider is offering its members premier seating, complimentary gourmet food and beverages, and access to VIP lounges and private car services to and from the airport or venue during the tournament, its chief executive Manoj Adlakha said.

The India-Pakistan clash is clearly a top draw for Indian advertisers among the 15 matches of the eight-team tournament being played in Pakistan and Dubai-the latter because India refused to pay in Pakistan, citing security reasons.

"This match is critical for the tournament hype to pick up," said Navin Khemka, chief executive of GroupM-owned media buying agency EssenceMediacom, which represents Dell, P&G and Airtel. Those buying ad slots at high premium for Sunday's match include some auto and FMCG players besides some mid-tier brands that are new to live sports advertising, a media buying executive said.

A spokesperson of JioStar Network, the official broadcaster and streaming partner for the Champions Trophy, said the broadcaster would not comment on ad rates as a policy.

"This tournament is poised to be a landmark event, and the enthusiastic participation of top brands underscores the power of cricket," Anup Govindan, chief revenue officer, sports, at JioStar, said in a statement.

Bandlish of Mother Dairy said, "Tournaments of this magnitude provide an ideal platform for brands like ours to connect with millions of fans." The dairy cooperative has taken up strategic brand presence across broadcast mediums and prominent placements on the tournament, particularly during India matches and specially on the India-Pakistan match, he said.