Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has emerged as the top sports celebrity followed by Virat Kohli and M.S Dhoni in the Brand Endorser Report 2022 prepared by Hansa Research, claimed to be the largest Indian consumer insights provider.

Brand Endorser is a comprehensive report of intensive research conducted across 36 Indian cities.

As per the syndicated study, Sachin Tendulkar is the most recognised celebrity in the sports category with a recognition score of 84%. He is perceived to be popular, likable, global personality, confident, aspirational, fit, trustworthy, and relatable along with a huge fan following including a social media followers base. These factors make him a compelling brand ambassador for a range of products, the organisation said in a release on Monday.

Commenting on the significance of the report, Ashish Karnad, Executive Vice President, Hansa Research said, “Our study Brand Endorser is a holistic and comprehensive assessment of the value that an endorser brings to a brand. The study aids marketers to take informed decisions and improve the overall return of investment (ROI) in celebrity engagement.”

He further added, “Sachin Tendulkar is perceived as a humble star known for sincerity, loyalty and self-discipline. The brands acknowledge these traits and recognize that the audience will choose a product endorsed by an honest celebrity. This stands as a key reason for Sachin Tendulkar to remain as the most preferred celebrity under sports category for endorsements.”

According to the Brand Endorser report, Sachin Tendulkar has surpassed some of the popular sports celebrities including Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, etc. Another interesting finding reveals that Sania Mirza is the only female sportsperson to be ranked in the top 10 list under the sports category.

The celebrities are ranked as per the Brand Endorser (BE) Score results. They are tracked on various metrics like likability, social media influence, perception, marketing potential, recognition, etc. which make up their final BE Score.

As per the study, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan topped the overall list as the most recognised celebrity in the country with a very high All India Rank.

Hansa Research’s Brand Endorser Report covered more than 550 celebrities across domains in the country. For this study, the research was conducted amongst 5100 respondents across 36 cities in the country, the release said.

Spinny has announced its brand new campaign, Go Far, featuring its brand ambassador and strategic investor, Sachin Tendulkar. The series of films celebrate India’s spirit to dream big and make things happen. The campaign will run on digital platforms along with a strong presence across TV, radio, OOH and OTT platforms. It will also be aired during Asia Cup 2022 on Disney+Hotstar, and on StarSports.

“We believe in life and in your choices, go far. You should be able to buy a car that you actually, really want to buy, that you know would make you happy. With Spinny, we’d go that extra mile, go far at every step to make it happen for each of our customers, including Sachin Tendulkar. His first car would make him happy in a way that is rooted and real and we made it happen. A car is a special purchase for a home and our endeavor is to make it extra special for each of our customers,” Niraj Singh, founder and CEO of Spinny, said.

The campaign explores how different people go beyond boundaries for love, dreams, self. As per the company, Go Far as a campaign is personal, relative, hence featuring different people and their stories to push beyond the comfort zone to get what they really, truly want. “Whether it’s a family celebrating a new car and a new house or an elderly couple focusing on a dream they ignored for many years; the journeys represent a very individualistic take on pushing boundaries,” the company added.

“A car to me is more than just a mode of travel. It’s my second home, my co-passenger in the journey as one explores life and goes places. Our car reflects us, sometimes complements our personality. When Squad Spinny re-created my first car, it was therefore very special. The team had put in a lot of effort and gone great lengths to bring back special memories of my first car. Spinny values the emotions behind car ownership and strives to provide an experience with timeless values of trust, transparency, and integrity,” Tendulkar stated.

There can’t be a better time to celebrate India’s stellar show at the CWG than the month the nation is observing 75 years of Independence. Sport has been a vehicle of growth for all, especially for women. It has helped them gain self-esteem, courage and a force with which to smash the hurdles of patriarchy and stigma. It has the power to unite everyone.

When Saikhom Mirabai Chanu dropped the barbell with a successful 109 kg lift, a thunderous applause roared through the hall. Chanu only stepped back gently, with her usual smile and humble ‘Namaste’. Everyone was awed by the way Chanu went on to not only register India’s first Gold this Commonwealth Games, but also to write a new record to her name. This is after Sanket Sargar’s silver and P Gururaja’s bronze, which opened India’s account.

For 11 days, the entire nation was following up on this mega event with bated breath. As the curtains fell, a triumphant Indian contingent returned with one of the best performances at the Commonwealth Games with 61 medals – 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze, that too without inclusion of shooting, one of our strong points. There cannot be a better time to celebrate this victory than the month the nation is observing 75th Independence Day as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

On the brink of victory, all athletes also resonated their stories of perseverance and agility in the face of adversity. These stories may be more challenging for women contingent, who triumphed not only the bars set by their immediate competitors, but also the bars set by society, family, and other external authorities. From Sushila Devi Likmabam, and Tulika Maan’s individual silver in Judo to Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat’s individual gold in wrestling; from Nitu Ghangas and Nikhat Zareen’s individual gold to PV Sindhu’s gold in badminton, we’ve seen some incredible performances this year. Our women’s hockey team also clinched bronze in a nail-biting match.

Apart from the regular action, India also awakened to witness a ‘new’ sport, Lawn Balls, where our Women’s fours team struck gold. Progressing slowly but with great precision and dedication in a sport that was almost alien to an entire nation, and then winning the first ever medal and that too gold, is truly incredible. It is interesting to note that the team comprising Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Pinki Singh and Nayanmoni Saikia all had different beginnings.

Rupa was once a kabaddi player, Nayanmoni a weightlifter, Pinki a cricketer, while Lovely was a sprinter. They all chose to tread on a path less taken and have achieved glory in that.

The glory, however, is not singular for women in sports. As much as it is imbibed with the hurdles of the past, going ahead, it provides a sense of empowerment to them, an empowerment sport is providing in current times. Sport has the power to unite everyone irrespective of caste, creed, or gender in achieving the ultimatum both personally and professionally. We shall, however, also acknowledge how some world events included women’s participation in some sports very lately.

Women’s Boxing, for example, where we have our champions Mary Kom, Nikhat Zareen, and the likes, was only introduced at the 2012 London Olympics for the first time. Women’s cricket, on the other hand, debuted only at the Commonwealth Games, where our team made us proud with a silver.

Nevertheless, sport has been a vehicle of growth for all, especially for women for years. It has helped them gain self-esteem, courage, and a force to smash the hurdles of patriarchy and societal stigma. With modernity steeping in, as society progressed, we saw various upliftment in sports around the world. Several champions have been born, who are not only medal winners, but also leaders and advocates for their sport and for budding players. This virtue of leadership is something sport teaches us all.

Let us also not shadow the fact that most of our women sportspersons come from rural, underprivileged areas. It is with their thriving efforts that they earn some bread and due respect.

It is hence upon us to make better provisions with collective efforts so that our girls get the required support and assistance right from a young age to prosper in their respective sports. With proper recognition and equal opportunities, women can be great movers of society and the nation’s economy.

In today’s fast-moving world, the hurdles faced by our women players might be different. Some are ridden with poverty, some with societal stigma and gender discrimination, some don’t have required infrastructure, and some struggle under the wrath of patriarchy. It is hence imperative to say when a Chanu, Nikhat, or Sindhu win, they inspire a million others who await that glimmer of light, hope and accomplishment to take a step forward.

Therefore, to grow as a society and nation for a better tomorrow, we should empower our women through sports. Because, every time they kick a ball, it is not only the ball but also the shackles that are tied to them; every time they lift up a barbell, it is not only the plates they lift up, but all hurdles they face, before crashing it down to the ground.

Luminous Power Technologies announced its range in solar. The latest TVC featuring the brand ambassador-Sachin Tendulkar, talks about using solar seamlessly through fun yet impactful way.

Developed and conceptualised by 82.5 Communications, the TVC demonstrates the convenience that Luminous brings in with its range of solar products, making it the go-to product with its catch line, “solar hai lagana toh Luminous ko hai bulana.”

The TVCs will be aired on TV channels and shows. The campaign will be leveraged on the brand’s social media handles. It will also be promoted on all Luminous’ social media platforms i.e.- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Ruchika Gupta, chief marketing officer, Luminous Power Technologies, said, “We created the “solar hai lagana toh luminous ko bulaana” campaign to showcase the brand as a one-stop-shop for all solar-related queries. This ad aims to combine consumer insight and storytelling, and I hope that you all resonate with it.”

Preeta Mathur, creative head, 82.5 Communications India, said “Let no one cast a doubt about solar. The film talks to those who are contemplating the thought of installing solar in their houses but haven’t taken the first step yet. Enters the team of sun and Sachin to put a stop to all the confusion and let the world know that Luminous is the one-stop solution for solar, solar hai lagana toh Luminous ko bulana.”

Sumanto Chattopadhyay, chairman and chief creative officer, 82.5 Communications India, said “Sachin is the evergreen brand ambassador for Luminous, complementing the inherent credibility of the brand. And who better to partner him than Mr Sun in convincing the consumer that Luminous is the right way to go solar.”

Spinny, full-stack used car platform, has launched its first national marketing campaign with the brand promise of “Khushiyon Ki Long Drive”. Highlighting the brand’s vision to turn the car buying and ownership journey into a simple and delightful experience, the ads feature Sachin Tendulkar and PV Sindhu. Conceptualised by Spring Marketing Capital, the campaign encapsulates the joy of adding a personal car in the journey of life.

Over the past few years, pre-owned car sales have witnessed an increase in momentum, gaining traction especially from young Indians in top cities. On the back of factors like greater value for money and wider choice of vehicles available in near-mint condition on full-stack digital platforms, pre-owned cars are steadily gaining popularity, Spinny said in a press statement.

In this campaign which comprises two films, Sachin Tendulkar and PV Sindhu, representing Spinny, provide assurance to a family who are about to buy their first car while the family gets advice from neighbours, relatives – pretty much what happens when a family decides to buy their first car.

The film also strategically encapsulates Spinny’s full stack features that contribute to creating a seamless vehicle purchasing journey including online research and test drives from home. The finalized car is then delivered at their doorstep – signifying the start of their Khushiyon Ki Long Drive.

Elaborating on the campaign, Suvid Bajaj, Head of Marketing – Spinny, said, “It was a memorable experience to work with our brand ambassadors Sachin Tendulkar and PV Sindhu on this campaign. Sachin is our strategic investor as well and he was fully involved with our idea. The idea of our campaign is to strike a chord with the young buyers and their life journey. Through this campaign we wanted to highlight the joyous story of millions of buyers, who work hard, save bit by bit and then invest in a car of their own. With Spinny’s strong focus and positive response to services, a film with PV Sindhu will be released as part of this campaign as well. Sindhu is deeply involved with Spinny as she started out as our customer and now of course a captain of Squad Spinny.”

Speaking about his involvement in the campaign, Sachin Tendulkar said, “Our country is becoming younger and our ambitions bigger. I am very happy to be associated with Spinny – a team which aspires to create solutions the right way. The team has adopted timeless values to achieve excellence in their business – trust, transparency, and integrity. This is one such story of a family on the start of their Khushiyon ki long drive with Spinny.

Mrinmoy Mukherjee, CEO, SRT Sports Management (organisation managing Sachin Tendulkar), said, “Throughout this journey, we wish to bring to life several interesting stories of human aspirations. Khushiyon Ki Long Drive is just the beginning”.

Arun Iyer, CCO, Spring marketing, said, “Buying their first car is one of the most exciting journeys for a family. We have attempted to weave a relatable story of a family starting their aspirational journey with their first car, while also informing our viewers why Spinny is the best destination for a used car purchase. Having Sachin Tendulkar narrate the film brought a feeling of trust and reassurance to it, and we hope that our viewers love our campaign as much as we do.”

The digital campaign will run via Spinny’s own social and YouTube channels along with a strong presence across other digital platforms. It will also be aired during the upcoming IPL 2022 on Disney+Hotstar, with Spinny on board as the associate sponsor. In addition to this, the brand is working on a second ad with a similar storyline featuring a customer and brand ambassador PV Sindhu.

Ageas Federal Life Insurance has launched its #FutureFearless campaign with brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar. The #FutureFearless campaign was conceptualised and created in partnership with VMLY&R India. It is a digital-led campaign using social media platforms, influencer pages, and different digital media like OTT platforms and news sites. “Our aim through this campaign is to use Tendulkar’s example to encourage parents to wisely plan for their children’s future. We are going through uncertain times but with financial discipline and timely investment in life insurance, parents can help fulfil the fearless dreams of their children,” Karthik Raman, chief marketing officer and head, Products, Ageas Federal Life Insurance said.

The film for the campaign uses deep fake AI video regeneration technology to recreate an 11-year-old Tendulkar. In the film, a young Sachin Tendulkar records a message for his older self on being fearless despite the hurdles of the world. At the end of the film, referring to his own childhood experiences, he urges parents not to fear the future but to prepare for it. The campaign aims to encourage timely investment in life insurance to liberate parents from financial limitations and help them to plan for a future for their children.

The company wanted an inspiring figure to convince parents to overcome their fears with better financial planning from Ageas Federal Life Insurance, and who better than the 11-year-old Sachin Tendulkar; Mukund Olety, chief creative officer, VMLY&R India, stated. “While we knew this was something we could achieve using technologies such as deepfake AI, unfortunately, we didn’t have any pre-existing videos of him as a child. Instead of letting that stop us, we found our way through custom tech innovations. We recorded the adult Sachin Tendulkar and de-aged his voice to make sure it had realistic notes and nuances, things people recognise about him today,” he added.

The campaign is created from the #FutureFearless survey conducted by Ageas Federal Life Insurance with YouGov India, which examined the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the financial preparedness of Indian parents in planning for their children’s education, career and other life goals. As per the survey, after addressing medical needs, saving for their children’s future emerged as the one of the top priorities for parents, between the pandemic-led forced cut down on savings and investments. Life insurance emerged as one of the top preferences for parents when saving or investing for the long-term goals of their children.

Stalwarts from different fields will conduct curated lessons on their subjects of expertise

Edtech unicorn Unacademy has launched a new learning product called ‘Unacademy Icons’, where stalwarts from different fields such as sports, arts, business and leadership, will conduct curated lessons on their subjects of expertise.

The first Icons segment, ‘Cricket with Sachin’ , has been developed in collaboration with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. He will mentor Unacademy Learners through a series of 31 interactive lessons of over seven hours. The curriculum is co-created by Sachin Tendulkar and his brother Ajit Tendulkar.

Speaking to BusinessLine about the vision behind Unacademy Icons, Gaurav Munjal, Co-founder and CEO, Unacademy Group, said: “Unacademy always wanted to democratise knowledge. The founders of Unacademy have been YouTubers since 2010. We were in college when we started teaching on YouTube and the initial idea of why unacademy came into existence was that we knew something that others did not. There was that information arbitrage and that made us realise that if we can get the best in the world to teach something, that will be very different from what you can learn from others.”

Munjal added that there will not be thousands of courses in every category, instead, in each category, the company will partner with the best icon in the world similar to how they have partnered with Sachin for the Cricket category. In future, Unacademy Icons also plans to introduce a few categories such as chess, how to become a YouTuber, and acting.

Pre-booking for Icons will start on February 23, for a subscription price of ₹299, with a one-year validity. The first 10 lessons will be launched on February 28 and subsequent 21 lessons will be released in the following weeks. The lessons will be available in English, Hindi to begin with, and will later be available in Marathi, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil.

The course offers a variety of features such as in-show graphics and animations that make the lessons engaging and interactive. The course curriculum also offers quizzes between each chapter, which will act as notable benchmarks to test the Learner’s knowledge in their course journey.

Talking about the course structure and content, Sachin Tendulkar said: “ Whatever the way I have played and the way my brother has shared his thoughts with me over the years, we’ve tried to implement all those things in various chapters. Plus, I have shared a number of experiences from my international cricket days, and some of these experiences are from my childhood. So, the course is not only focussed on the beginners, it’s also for someone who’s been around for a while, or is a pro-level expert who knows how to play.”

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 16 (ANI): The legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will continue as UNICEF‘s ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ for a record 20th year, working for the welfare of underprivileged children.

Sachin Tendulkar has been associated with global causes for many years. He has been consistently active in batting for the good of underprivileged children. Sachin’s individual, as well as collaborative efforts towards health, education & sports initiatives for children, has been commendable.

Honouring his relentless efforts to voice for the rights of children, UNICEF has extended their partnership for a record 20th year.

In a tweet reply, Sachin said, “It’s been great working with UNICEF all these years. Wonderful memories of the impactful work the team has executed. The efforts towards giving wings to children’s dreams are very satisfying. Looking forward to our next phase of the partnership. @UNICEFROSA @G_LaryeaAdjei.”

Sachin has been associated with UNICEF for long for various causes. In 2003, he was chosen to take lead in the initiative to create awareness about polio and promote polio prevention in India. Later in 2008, he was roped in to create and promote hygiene and sanitation among communities and has been continuing to do so over the years. In 2013, he was appointed UNICEF Ambassador for South Asia to advocate for good hygiene and sanitation across the region.

With the Government of India launching the Swachh Bharat Mission, Sachin extended his role to lead the Team Swachh Bharat campaign for UNICEF in India. This campaign reached every nook and corner of the country.

He was awarded the “Most Effective Swachh Bharat Ambassador” award by the President of India during an awards function in 2020. Sachin has been vocal through these campaigns about the importance of washing hands before meals and sanitizing after defecation, primarily aimed at teaching children the basics of cleanliness.

Over the years, Sachin has been to many remote places to interact with underprivileged children, empower girls to take up sports, and to launch many projects for their welfare. His visit to the Ratnagiri district in the western state of Maharashtra to interact with the visually challenged boys and girls staying at a residential school, his visit to remote areas of Madhya Pradesh to interact with underprivileged kids are few of the examples.

In 2019, he went on a three-day trip to Nepal to raise awareness for UNICEF Nepal’s ‘Bat for Brain Development’ campaign. These are but a few examples of the continuous humanitarian efforts Sachin has been making through his association with UNICEF. These visits not only gave the campaign momentum but also gave people hope through the words of Sachin.

Being an inspiration and idol for many both on and off the field, Sachin Tendulkar has been a key influencer with his social work. In his almost two-decade-long partnership with UNICEF, he has been vital in furthering the campaigns, especially the ones aimed at children.

“One day, every child will be vaccinated against deadly diseases. One day, every child will have clean water.” – Sachin can be heard saying these lines in one of the promotional videos for UNICEF. Given the pandemic period we live in, and with UNICEF bestowing immense faith on Sachin for a record 20th year, the determination associated with these lines is set to grow stronger. (ANI)

~ A retrospection on Sachin Tendulkar’s non-endorsement of tobacco and liquor brands ~

“Tobacco consumption can be injurious to health” – one of the oft-seen and highly (mis)used disclaimers in the advertising world. Over the years, its effect on tobacco consumers had not been as it was expected to be. The Seventh Edition of the annual Tobacco Atlas, released by Vital Strategies and the Tobacconomics team at the University of Illinois at Chicago, suggests that there are 1.1 billion smokers and several hundred million users of other tobacco products in the world.

Another 2021 WHO report suggests that tobacco claims the lives of more than 8 million people each year, out of which, 7 million deaths are due to direct tobacco usage while around 1.2 million are the result of passive or second hand smoking. The same report suggests that over 80% of the world’s more than a billion tobacco users belong to low- and middle-income countries, which includes India and the other South Asian countries.

In this ever-concerning sphere of tobacco consumption, one of the factors that have been contributing hugely is the space of brand endorsement. Big tobacco and liquor brands have been at the forefront of indulging in sponsorship and celebrity endorsements to tempt the masses into using their products, for years. It was in the late-90s, when apart from sponsoring big award shows, world tobacco makers targeted the Indian sports industry as well and ventured into sponsoring events, leagues, and team kits.

Amidst this then-new and profit-making trend, one man that was undeterred was Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the man who brought a revolution to Indian cricket and gave hope to billions of dreams. It was in the late-90s when big global tobacco brands entered the Indian market to sponsor the Indian men’s cricket team’s kit. While many from the team including senior players put the sponsors’ names and logos in their kits, Sachin refused and instead left his bat blank for about two years.

Considering how big brands paid for endorsements and how at that time, the salary of the cricketers was in the range of a meagre 15 thousand Rupees only, it was indeed a big and daring move by Sachin.

At the core of Sachin’s refusal to endorse tobacco and liquor brands is his promise to his father, but there is also an inherent virtue Sachin has carried all along throughout his career and beyond.

Sachin’s commitment to work for the underprivileged section, especially children, is quite evident through his decades-long involvement with UNICEF, and other key initiatives.

His commitment and vow to not endorse any tobacco and liquor products could not be shaken during the IPL as well, where he again refused to endorse any sponsors that deal with tobacco or liquor.
In today’s world, where the advertisers adopt various sly measures like surrogate advertising to promote their products, the onus is more on the celebrities or youth icons to choose their endorsements responsibly.

The recent controversy regarding the endorsement of a tobacco brand by a Bollywood star is one such example, where he had to tender a public apology later on.

The brand’s tagline itself has become a hit among people, especially the youth, resulting in scores of videos and memes floating around it on Social Media. This bears testimony to the impact celebrity endorsement can make on the youth.

In this regard, another shocking finding of the 7th Edition of the annual Tobacco Atlas can be pointed out, where it suggests that although there is a drop in the percentage of adult smokers from 22.6% in 2007 to 19.6% in 2019, the rate of smokers in the 13-15 age bracket is growing. This age denotes the teenagers who are more vulnerable to falling prey to tobacco consumption through advertisements.

When the celebrities that they look up to themselves promote the tobacco products through eye-catching advertisements, the risk of consumption surges. In one of its advisories, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests for a comprehensive ban on both direct and indirect forms of advertising, sponsorship, or promotion of tobacco products, to reduce its consumption.

It is true that it is not easily possible to have a consensus among celebrities to not endorse any tobacco or liquor products, given the changing landscape of advertising and marketing. But it is also noteworthy that by standing true to his words and beliefs of not endorsing any such products that can harm someone, especially the youth, Sachin has been carrying on a silent revolution, in a way.

Countless of tobacco and liquor brands approached him over the years with multi-crore deals, but he chose his ideals over money, every time. He knows the worth of his public image and how his deeds can impact his admirers, and this self-awareness and determination uphold the dignity that his name carries.

For almost two decades now, Sachin has been selflessly associated with the UNICEF, and several other government as well as non-governmental initiatives to offer a better life to the underprivileged children, and to give wings to their dreams. In today’s fast-changing world, amidst all the other pandemics, tobacco consumption is considered another ‘epidemic’ that has been impacting billions of lives each year.

With this, as we celebrate World No Tobacco Day, one can only hope that the silent revolution Sachin has been leading by not endorsing any tobacco and liquor products, become a roaring revolution in times to come.