MUMBAI: IPL is not only prominent for its matches but is also a platform for advertisers to make a mark, similar to the Super Bowl in the US. This year too, broadcaster Star India in collaboration with Taproot Dentsu has created a beautiful campaign which along with promoting the series also tells the heartwarming tale of the players participating in it. The ‘Game Banayega Name’ docu-series highlights the stories of uncapped talents who got recognised because of their game at IPL.

Taproot Dentsu head-strategy planning Shashank Lanjekar shares that the idea behind the campaign was to offer something unique. He says, “When 11 campaigns of a particular brand have already happened, the first question you normally ask is what is new. How do we say something new and also in a way that has never been seen before? That’s how the whole process began for us and incidentally, we came across the line that is written on the IPL trophy, in Sanskrit, which reads ‘Where Talent Meets Opportunity’. So, we picked from there and the campaign was conceptualised.”

‘Yatra Pratibha Avasara Prapnotihi’ is the credo of the IPL game and highlights how the tournament gives opportunities to rank outsiders, to stand with and also play against established international players like Dhoni and Kohli.

ECD Pallavi Chakravarti continues, “The part of the brief (shared by Star) was that they wanted something that appealed to a cricket loyalist as much as is to the infrequent viewer. They wanted something that speaks to everybody. So, for all of us, the thought was to capture the universality of the game. The idea of a newcomer who joins the team to make a name for him connected well to the thought.”

Speaking about the lyrics for the campaign, Chakravarti reveals that the peppy words were co-written by her along with a lyricist. She says, “We wanted to say it in an easy manner that is neither too cumbersome nor too ‘Shuddh Hindi’ or too English. It had to be younger and contemporary so it appeals the most of the audience. The song tells the philosophy (of the game) but not in a very philosophical way.

Co-founder and CCO Agnello Dias shares that it was very taxing to be a part of such an interesting and unique campaign. Summing up his thoughts about it, he says, “I can think of an old saying that states that when you enter a casino, you might win or lose, but if you don’t enter it, you will definitely lose. So, it was a challenge that we took.”

It is for the first time that the players from all the eight teams have come together for a campaign like this, and the energy on sets was undoubtedly infectious. Chakravarti mentions that the players were very cordial to one-another as well as the boys on the other side of the wall. Dias notes that not only the concept but also the way the ad was shot was very interesting. He shares that the screen that the players are seen pushing in the ad is not a special effect, but an actual panel with a camera attached to it.

The docuseries has been shot with five young players, who were selected by a joint decision taken by BCCI and Star India. The main campaign ad has garnered around 15 million so far, as shared by the team.