Cake India creates an ultimate volleyball experience for Hyderabad Black Hawks

Ahead of the much-awaited launch of the second season of Prime Volleyball League, Cake India and Hyderabad Black Hawks collaborated to give sports fans of Hyderabad a new relevance for the sport through a never-done-before experience. To build the right hype around the league as well as the team, Cake India conceptualised a first-of-its-kind sensory experience, Hype Night, bringing fans up, close, and personal with their favourite players from the team.

What made the Hype Night a spectator’s paradise was the fact that it was a volleyball match played in complete blackout illuminated using UV and neon lights in a packed stadium with music, entertainment, thrill and super action.

The goal was to create an immersive experience that would show a different side of a fast-paced, exciting volleyball game while, inviting a brand new audience along for the ride. The presence of superstar and Hyderabad Black Hawks co-owner Vijay Deverakonda, who rode into the venue on a roaring motorcycle, was also a highlight of the event!

Cake India conceptualised the entire experience creating the hype for the players, the city and the team of Hyderabad Black Hawks.

Hype Night was the culmination of Cake India’s larger integrated communication campaign where the agency developed a new brand positioning, a season launch campaign activation and worked on always-on communications and social plan to build awareness and grow the fanbase. Cake India also worked with the players to build their brand in the context of the Prime Volleyball League, creating a new gateway to fandom and inspire a new generation.   

Abhishek Reddy Kankanala, the Principal Owner of the Black Hawks said, “For the launch of the second season of Prime Volleyball League, we wanted to create an experience that people will never forget. Our vision was to make our team the talk of the town. To leave a long-lasting impression, it is not enough to simply create something exciting — it needs to stand out, to resonate, to be supported by ancillary experiences, and to give a compelling reason for the audience to value it. And along with Cake India, we were able to do exactly that through Hype Night.”

Vijay Deverakonda said, “The Black Hawks is more than just another sports team. To all of us, who proudly display our Telugu heritage, it is a representative of the Telugu people, and a symbol of our spirit and strength. I will do whatever it takes to take our team and our brand to all parts of India and beyond.”

Rajika Mittra, Managing Partner, Cake India said, “At Cake, we specialise in crafting meaningful work that is varied, exciting, and truly out-of-the-box. For our first major campaign in India, we wanted to create a unique experience and propel a certain thrill that would give wings to our ideas, and we found the perfect partner in Hyderabad Black Hawks. We created a never-before-seen experience that became the 'Hype of Hyderabad'. It was also a great example of Havas Group India's integration, as we worked with Shobiz Havas to make magic.”

Prime Volleyball League, which went live on February 4, 2023, aims at unearthing young players in the country, providing them the right platform to showcase their talent while also creating a strong fan base for the sport. The league which features eight teams from Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Calicut,  Ahmedabad and Mumbai will be aired on Sony Network and SonyLiv and also will be broadcasted internationally in over 100 countries on volleyballworld.tv.