Munaf, Suresh to bat for Pepsi

NEW DELHI: Cricketers Munaf Patel and Suresh Raina are the latest to join the Pepsi brigade of cricket-playing endorsers. The two have been signed on by the cola major which adds to its existing army of cricketers to endorse the brand.

Pepsi sponsors almost the entire Indian cricket team including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Mohammed Kaif, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“Munaf and Raina have been signed for a period of two years to endorse Pepsi,” said Vipul Prakash, executive vice-president (marketing), Pepsi India.

While 23-year old Patel, who has begun creating waves with his bowling, already has an endorsement deal with Reebok in his kitty, this would be the first one for left-handed batsman Raina. Kolkata-based sports management firm Gameplan manages Munaf Patel, while Mega Trends Advertising’s talent management arm Mega Talent manages Suresh Raina.

Apart from the existing team members, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, whose contract with Pepsi runs till ’07, will shortly be seen in the cola major’s new Blue Billion campaign. The campaign’s teaser advertisements are already being telecast across TV channels.

The new Blue Billion campaign is being seen as building up cricket frenzy till the ICC Champions Trophy in October.
The company will run a Blue Billion Express, a special train to ferry cricket lovers to the three Champions Trophy match venues in the country.

The cola major has also launched a Blue Billion website and a music video. Patel and Raina feature in the music video.

“With the Blue Billion campaign, our endeavour is to create the largest community of cricket fans, christened the Blue Billion,” said Mr Prakash.