The Ultimate Crown

We are halfway through 2019, and the year has been eventful to say the least. With the Lok Sabha elections and Indian Premier League, citizens were torn between which coverage to follow religiously. And now, with the biggest cricket event, ICC World Cup being held in England, the official broadcaster — Star Sports — is leaving no stone unturned to build on the excitement.

Their new campaign, #CricketKaCrown, focuses on how this is the ultimate prize in cricket world. It emphasises that every team going to England will try their best to get their hands on the crown.

Gautam Thakar, CEO, Star Sports, says that the campaign aims to bring out the competitive element that comes with the prestige of winning the World Cup. Additionally, this year, the tournament is being played in a new format, wherein every team will be playing one match with each other. The stakes are high and thus, the campaign features a unique fan representing every nation participating in the World Cup.

In the series of ad-films, which will be released under this campaign, the audience will get to see fans taking jibes at each other in a quest to win. Two films have been showcased already. In one, an Indian fan breaks into a dance in front of the Queen, telling her that the Indian team will take the trophy. He is then joined by fans of other countries, who do the same, claim ownership on the ‘Cricket ka crown’. Another ad shows two men, wearing jerseys of England and South Africa, trying to reach a coffee cup placed a few steps away. But it’s snatched by an Australian fan before they can grab it. He smiles smugly at the duo, who are meanwhile teased by an Indian fan for never being able to win the World Cup.

“This time, the World Cup is taking place at the home of cricket. And the fact that almost all the teams have been erstwhile colonies of the British Empire is the genesis of the campaign. We added a humorous narrative on the interpretation of how every country is in the race for the crown of cricket,” says Sukesh Nayak, chief creative officer, Ogilvy and Mather. He adds that their objective was to ensure every Indian, not just hardcore cricket fans, gets excited about watching and cheering for their team during World Cup. And to that effect, the campaign is pitch perfect.